JEDDAH, 21 August — Saudi Arabia yesterday endorsed the Gulf Cooperation Council’s patent law as well as the revised regulations governing the retail trade of citizens in the GCC countries.
The Council of Ministers, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, also decided to extend the present system that allows productive GCC firms to open representative offices in all member states.
State Minister and Acting Information Minister Dr. Madani Allaqi told the Saudi Press Agency that the Cabinet had decided to make the necessary allocations to build the Wadi Arda Dam in the next budget of the Water Ministry.
The meeting took the decision on the basis of a proposal to solve the water shortage in the Baha region put forward by Agriculture and Water Minister Dr. Abdullah Muammar.
The meeting inducted Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah Kamel and Dr. Suleiman ibn Ahmad Mousley to the board of directors of the Water and Sewage Department in the Makkah region. The appointment is for three years.
Allaqi said the Cabinet reviewed reports by various ministries and government departments highlighting their activities and services to citizens during the current fiscal year. He said the king urged the ministers to speed up procedures to improve public services.
The Cabinet appointed Abdullah ibn Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim director general of the administrative and financial department at the Bureau of General Supervision.
