JEDDAH, 28 August — The Council of Ministers, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, yesterday reviewed preparations made by educational authorities to welcome the new academic year, scheduled to start on Saturday.
Addressing the Cabinet meeting at Al-Salam Palace, King Fahd welcomed the country’s four-million strong student population and wished them every success in their goal of achieving academic excellence.
He urged university and school teachers to exert more efforts to build a new generation capable of meeting the challenges and boosting the country’s progress.
The Cabinet meeting also reviewed the endeavors being made by provincial governors and councils to promote development and improve public services in various parts of the country.
The Cabinet approved the new rules allowing Saudi medical consultants and doctors working at government health institutions, as well as the teaching staff of medical colleges, to work at public health establishments affiliated to their institutions after their official duty hours and during holidays.
The meeting endorsed an agreement for cooperation between the Higher Education Ministry and Britain’s Manchester, Oxford and Edinburgh universities, as well as University College London.
The Cabinet inducted Dr. Khaleel ibn Abdul Fattah Kurdi and Muhammad ibn Samman Bakheet to the board of the water and sewage department in Madinah. It also named Dr. Isa ibn Muhammad Rawas as assistant deputy Haj minister.
The meeting reshuffled the board of directors of the Industrial Develop-ment Fund, with the representative of the Finance and National Economy Ministry becoming its chairman and representatives of the Industry and Electricity Ministry, Commerce Ministry, Planning Ministry and the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency members.
