JEDDAH, 14 June 2005 — Saudi Arabia yesterday decided to streamline private donations for relief work and humanitarian activities abroad in order to prevent them from reaching “suspicious hands”.
The Council of Ministers said payment of all private donations for charity work outside the Kingdom has to be made through the Saudi Private Commission for Relief and Charitable Activities Abroad.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Crown Prince Abdullah, also approved bylaws regarding leaves of civil servants and named the new board of directors of the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT).
Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani said the Cabinet approved alteration to Article 5 of the SCT Law. The SCT board will be chaired by the interior minister. Its members include ministers of foreign affairs, education, commerce and industry, finance, culture and information, economy and planning, Haj and agriculture as well as the chief of the Youth Welfare Presidency and the secretary-general of SCT.
The board will also include five to seven experts, to be appointed by the Cabinet for a three-year term. “These members should not have any personal interest in tourism investment activities,” Madani said quoting a Cabinet statement.
He said the Cabinet approved new regulations increasing the annual leave of civil servants from 30 to 35 days and reducing the minimum number of days to be taken at a time from 15 to 5. Emergency leave is cut from 10 to five days to avoid misuse. Financial compensation would be given for up to 180 days of accumulated leave, instead of 90 days, for outgoing staff.
Saudi National Day will be considered an official holiday and if it falls on a Friday, Saturday will be a holiday and if it falls on a Thursday, Wednesday will be a holiday. If it falls during the Eid holidays, no compensation will be given.
Women employees will be given a maximum of three years with a quarter of their salary, not less than SR1,500, as maternity leave throughout their service.
Referring to the rules that allow an employee to become absent from work with salary, the Cabinet said an employee could be absent for not more than 45 days annually for relief and civil defense work.
An employee can be away from work enjoying full salary for a maximum of 30 days in the Kingdom and 60 days abroad to participate in sports, cultural and social activities. Men of letters can be absent from work up to 30 days in a year for participation in cultural conferences and seminars.
Employees working during Eid holidays and weekly holidays will be given compensatory leaves, but no financial reward. One day leave will be given for each day worked during the holidays except for the Eid day and two consecutive days, for which two days leave will be given for each day.
