JEDDAH, 17 May 2006 — Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, yesterday urged the Saudi Commission for Health Specializations and other medical organizations to set out a charter of honor for professional medical practice based on the Islamic faith.
Prince Sultan made this comment during a ceremony to mark the opening of the commission’s new headquarters in Riyadh and graduation of a group of Saudi doctors and pharmacists. The medical graduates were awarded certificates issued by the commission.
The crown prince commended Saudi youth for their achievements in scientific fields including medicine. He particularly praised the success of Saudi women in medicine, pharmacology and nursing.
“We are confident that they are capable of making more successes in the medical field,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted him as saying. He urged Saudi doctors to rise to the level of international medical fraternity in conducting original researches and making important discoveries. He instructed the commission to encourage scientific research.
In another development, Sultan is expected to visit Yemen by the end of this month. The three-day royal visit beginning from May 31 will take Saudi-Yemen ties to new heights.
Prince Sultan will hold talks with President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Prime Minister Abdul Qader Bajammal on major regional and global issues and ways of strengthening cooperation between the two Arab neighbors.
According to local press reports, Yemen’s intent to join the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and joint measures to fight terrorism and cross-border smuggling will top the agenda of Prince Sultan’s talks in Hadramout.
The crown prince will co-chair a meeting of the Saudi-Yemen Joint Council with Bajammal, informed sources said. The meeting will witness the signing of a number of agreements to finance Yemeni projects by Saudi businessmen.
The sources said the Saudis would finance development projects such as roads, technical institutes, seaports and power plants. The two countries will sign a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in social and labor affairs. The two sides will also discuss prospects of signing agreements for cooperation in customs and fisheries and enhancing coordination in combating contagious diseases.
Prince Sultan will meet President Saleh in Mukalla, a Yemeni official said. This is Sultan’s second meeting with Saleh in two months. The two leaders had met in Hong Kong while the crown prince was on a three-nation Asian tour last month.
