September 14, 2007

SAUDI CABINET CONFIRMS THAT THE FUTURE OF ISRAEL DEPENDS ON RECOGNIZING THE RIGHTS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. FACING ISRAELI PRACTICES REQUIRES A UNIFIED ARAB STANCE. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud chaired a meeting of the cabinet Monday afternoon at Al-Salam Palace in JEDDAH. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques At the outset of the meeting briefed the cabinet on the overall talks and consultations and contacts that have taken place during the past week with a number of leaders and their envoys dealt with bilateral relations and issues of the region and world affairs. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques praised his meeting with President Abdullah Wade President of the Republic of Senegal; The strategic importance of the Kingdom's relations with Senegal and the States of the African continent, and what consolidates between them and the Kingdom of historical links, cultural ties, common interests and Shared visions about the future of international relations and the status of developing countries in the Global economic. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, the Minister of Culture and Information Iyad Bin Amin Madani has explained that the Cabinet heard a number of reports about the course of the current events in the region, and the Israeli practices that increase tension and is an obstacle to any real effort to achieve peace and stability in the region. The Cabinet stressed that dealing with these practices require a unified Arab stance, effective mechanisms of joint Arab action, and true understanding of the Arab national interest, It also requires that the superpowers be aware of, the region cultural and social and national Characteristics and values that can not be ignored and that the fundamental rights of its people can not be bypassed and that applying political stereotype ideologies have failed in the past and hence, will fail in the present and in the future. And the future of Israel depends on recognizing the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people in their homeland. The Minister of Culture and Information added that the Cabinet then reviewed its agenda and issued the following decisions: First: Having examined the draft for establishing the Public Housing Authority amended by the panel of experts at the Cabinet Decision No. (136) dated 22 / 4 / 1428 Cabinet decided as follows: 1. Approval of establishing the Public Housing Authority, as annexed to the resolution. 2. Transfer Housing Strategy tasks from the Ministry of Economy and Planning to the Public Housing Authority and monitor its implementation and to create a housing data base and prepare of housing studies and research and convey Accordingly, all staff working in this area and financial allocations for these specific tasks. 3. Transfer Public Housing tasks from the Ministry of Social Affairs to the Authority and convey accordingly, all staff working in this area and financial allocations for specific tasks such as all the documents and plans of future and existing projects the ministry has already prepared. 4 All entities in concern with Housing such as (Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Economy and Planning, and others) must persist in exercising the functions entrusted to the current housing until the Authority is established. The following is some of the Prominent features of the Authority: 1. the Public Housing Authority is Aimed to provide adequate housing options to meet the needs of citizens as appropriate and approved by the Authority's programs and especially, among other things, to facilitate the citizens to get quality housing within the limits of their income in a timely manner suitable to their lifespan and to increase the housing owning rate. 2. In order for the Authority to achieve its objectives, it prepares comprehensive housing strategies for the Kingdom modernizes them and develops them, and proposes orders, policies and regulations on housing activity and proposes amendments to them and identifies categories of eligible recipients to the public and philanthropy housing programs. Second: The Cabinet has approved the final budget for the King Fahd's National Library for the fiscal year 1426 / 1427 Third: The cabinet has approved the credentials of His Royal Highness the Foreign Minister or his delegate - to discussing with the American side to modify the duration of the visa contained in Article (1) of the memorandum of understanding for organizing the visit visas between Saudi Arabia and the United States of America to become five years instead of two and to amend the visa fee in article (second) to (375) SAR - or the equivalent in dollars - rather than (200) riyals, and the signing of what is being reached, to be submitted after that to complete the statutory procedures. Fourth: Considering the Shura Council decision no. 18 / 19 dated 10 / 5 / 1428 Cabinet decided to approve the Convention framework for trade preferences system among Member States in the OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference), so as annexed to the decision. And a royal decree was issued. The most prominent feature of the Convention: 1. The agreement aims at promoting trade between the Member States of the OIC through the exchange of trade preferences on the basis of a number of principles, including: ensuring equal treatment and non-discriminatory treatment among all participating States, and gradually exchange preferential treatment taking into consideration the MFN principle according to the timetables, restrict mutual preferences under this Convention to participating States only. 2. Exchanging the outcome facilities from the negotiations considering the MFN principle to return benefits to the participating States. 3. The Convention stipulates that participating States should present special facilities for the least developed Member States during the bilateral or multilateral negotiation, bearing in mind the special needs of these States. Fifth: The Cabinet approved the establishment of joint-stock company under the name (Bouba Arab Cooperative Insurance Company) in accordance with its basis. And a royal decree was issued. Sixth: The cabinet approved the following appointments: 1. the appointment of Mohammad bin Abdul Aziz bin Mohammed Al-Ghayth as an expert to the panel of experts. 2. The appointment of Ali Bin Mohammed Bin Ali Battah as an inventory control general manager in the Ministry of Defense and Aviation. 3. The appointment of Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Modhesh as a general manager in the Ministry of Civil Service Riyadh branch. 4. The appointment of Mohammed Bin Fahd Bin Abdul Karim Alfreh as a civil service adviser in the Ministry of the Civil Service. 5. The appointment of His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed bin Ayaf Al - Meqren as an expert to the panel of experts.