RIYADH: The Council of Ministers announced on Monday that Saudi security forces had taken full control of the Kingdom’s southern border after driving away Yemeni infiltrators. “The government has provided necessary services to Saudis and residents evacuated from villages along the border and taken measures for their safety and protection,” the Cabinet said.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who chaired the Cabinet meeting, thanked world leaders for expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia after the attack.

The Cabinet also thanked the GCC countries for supporting the Kingdom. A GCC Ministerial Council meeting in Doha said recently that any attack on the Kingdom would be considered an attack on all GCC countries. An Arab League meeting also backed the Kingdom’s right to defend its borders.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh lambasted Iran for supporting the infiltrators in order to commit crimes and aggression. “Saudi Arabia has the right to defend itself and deter the unjust aggression,” Al-Watan Arabic daily quoted the grand mufti as saying.

He also urged Saudis to pray for soldiers defending the Kingdom’s borders. “Special prayers should be said for them in mosques,” he added.

During the Cabinet meeting, King Abdullah welcomed the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who have come from different parts of the world to perform Haj. He urged all Haj-related departments and agencies to maximize their services to the guests of God so that they can perform the rituals in safety and comfort.

Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja said the Cabinet meeting also reviewed the outcome of the Saudi-East Africa Forum, which was attended by officials from seven African countries, adding that Saudi Arabia was looking forward to strengthening cooperation with those countries, especially in agriculture.

The Cabinet expressed its satisfaction over the formation of the new Lebanese government under the leadership of Prime Minister Saad Hariri and hoped that it would strengthen the country’s national unity and stability. The Cabinet reiterated Saudi Arabia’s support for Lebanon’s stability.

The Cabinet authorized the minister of Islamic affairs to sign an agreement with Qatar for cooperation in Islamic and endowment affairs. Another agreement will be signed with Doha for cooperation in agriculture, animal resources and fisheries.

The Cabinet endorsed the memorandum of understanding on establishing a strategic dialogue between the Gulf Cooperation Cou-ncil and Turkey. It authorized the Foreign Ministry to sign a protocol with the Muslim World League.

Saudi Arabia approved a document related to ownership of real estate in GCC countries. It also endorsed another GCC summit decision that urges member countries to take up measures for implementing the resolutions taken by the summit within a year.

Khoja said the Cabinet appointed Miteb bin Abdullah Al-Mandeel director general of operations at the Interior Ministry; Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Sheikha deputy minister for agricultural affairs; Ahmed bin Muhammad Al-Motawae assistant minister for judicial affairs at the Justice Ministry; Abdul Aziz bin Saad Al-Hussein financial adviser at the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology; Jaber bin Muhammad Al-Shahri assistant undersecretary for animal resources at the Agriculture Ministry; and Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Abdullatif, director general of administrative and financial affairs at King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology.