RIYADH, 5 May 2003 — The new Cabinet ministers were sworn in yesterday at a ceremony during which Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd welcomed the ministers and urged them to work for the Kingdom’s development and the prosperity of its people. Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, and Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, attended the function held at Al-Yamamah Palace here.
Prominent ministers who took the oath yesterday were: Prince Miteb, minister of municipal and rural affairs and housing, Interior Minister Prince Naif, Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and State Minister Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Fahd.
The Cabinet was reshuffled on Wednesday, introducing five new faces but keeping most important ministers including the ministers of petroleum and mineral resources, finance, education and Haj.
The five new ministers who took the oath yesterday were: State Minister Abdullah Zainal, Transport Minister Dr. Jabara Al-Seraisry, Agriculture Minister Dr. Fahd Balghaneim, Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie and Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Muhammad Mulla.
Other ministers were: Justice Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Sheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Propagation and Guidance Saleh Al-Sheikh, State Minister Abdul Aziz Al-Khuwaiter, Water and Electricity Minister Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi and Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali Al-Naimi.
Civil Services Minister Muhammad Al-Fayez, Higher Education Minister Dr. Khaled Al-Anqari, State Minister Matlab Al-Nafeesa, Education Minister Dr. Muhammad Al-Rasheed, Culture and Information Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy, Commerce and Industry Minister Dr. Hashim Yamani, State Minister Dr. Musaed Al-Aiban, Finance Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Haj Minister Iyad Madani, Economy and Planning Minister Khaled Al-Gosaibi, and Labor and Social Affairs Minister Dr. Ali Al-Namlah also took the oath.
King Fahd thanked the outgoing ministers for their services to the country.
Meanwhile, the Shoura Council yesterday held the first meeting of its third annual session under the chairmanship of President Dr. Saleh ibn Abdullah Humaid.
The meeting congratulated Dr. Fahd Balghaneim and Hamoud Al-Fayez, two Shoura members, on their appointment as agriculture minister and chief of the Court of Grievances.
Dr. Hamoud Al-Badr, secretary-general of the Shoura, said the meeting approved regulations related to fertility and impotency treatment units.
