RIYADH, 28 January 2003 — The Saudi government yesterday extended a warm welcome to the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who have arrived in the country from different parts of the world and pledged it would exert every possible effort to ensure their welfare and security.
Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, urged all government departments to double their efforts by mobilizing their human and material resources in the service of the guests of God.
"This is a great honor and a big responsibility," the Crown Prince reminded government officials. He also referred to the massive projects implemented by the government in Makkah, Madinah and other holy sites to enhance the welfare and security of pilgrims.
Earlier, Interior Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee Prince Naif briefed the Cabinet on the preparations made by various government departments for the annual pilgrimage, which is likely to start on Feb. 9, depending on lunar sightings.
About 2.5 million believers, nearly 1.5 million of them from abroad, are expected to perform Haj this year.
Prince Abdullah urged pilgrims to refrain from all activities that might undermine the sanctity and security of Haj, the largest annual gathering of Muslims in the world.
Information Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy said the Cabinet meeting also discussed the situation in Palestine, which was worsening as a result of Israel’s aggressive practices. It urged the international community to adopt a united stand to stop the Israeli aggression against unarmed Palestinians.
The meeting condemned war crimes being committed by Israeli forces against the Palestinian people as well as against their institutions and sacred places.
The Cabinet further endorsed the memorandum of understanding signed by Saudi and Yemeni foreign ministries on June 15, 2002 and authorized the minister of communications to hold talks with Italian officials on prospects of concluding an agreement for cooperation in marine transportation.
Farmers’ cooperatives: The Cabinet approved the formation of cooperative societies by farmers to market agricultural products and said the government would extend all support to the societies.
In his statement after the Cabinet meeting, Dr. Farsy said the government will allocate the societies land to establish cold storage and distribution centers. It will also designate places for agricultural products at the central markets.
The Cabinet set up a committee to supervise the activities of the cooperative societies, facilitate their mission and look into the problems they face.
