ABHA, 26 May 2007 — Asir Gov. Prince Faisal ibn Khaled promised unemployed youth in the region that his administration would take effective steps to remove obstacles toward steady jobs.
“I will call to account any official who fails to do his duty to citizens (causing bureaucratic obstacles in the way of the employment of youth). It is our bounden duty to serve the citizens and fulfill their needs,” Prince Faisal said while opening the second Tawasul Forum on the development of the region and creating a favorable atmosphere for investment in Abha on Wednesday.
Prince Faisal, who underscored the paramount importance of education in achieving progress, warned that the lack of modern knowledge would relegate society to a backward position.
The governor urged the people to strive for the progress of the country. “Dear brothers and sisters, patriotism is a sentiment that should be translated into action and let us be patriots and contribute our might to the welfare of the country,” the prince said.
The governor also warned against the dangers of activities motivated by deviant ideologies, which are contrary to sound thinking and religious faith. “It is the duty of all members of society to close ranks against the deviants and those who seek to work against the best interests of the country,” the governor continued.
Following the meeting, the governor donated SR1.5 million to the Disabled Children’s Society.
In a royal decree issued on May 16, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah named Prince Faisal as the new governor of the Asir region. The appointment came as the former governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal was named the governor of Makkah following the death of Prince Abdul Majeed on May 5.
Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Aziz Al-Khodairi, undersecretary at the governor’s office, said the recommendations of the forum included schemes to stimulate investment tendency among the local people and steps for increasing investments from Yemen in the region. The meeting also called upon the municipalities to offer assistance to investors by allocating land for investors.
