JEDDAH: The Council of Ministers, which met at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah on Monday night, approved a national strategy for health and the environment. It also endorsed new laws to regulate transportation of pilgrims.
Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani said the new strategy was aimed at protecting the environment from pollution and ensuring a clean and healthy atmosphere. Campaigns will be held to enlighten the public on how to protect food from contamination, he said.
The Cabinet meeting that was chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah also condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Yemen and Pakistan.
“Terrorism is the epidemic of modern age. Everybody should work to fight terrorism and root out terrorist thinking,” the Cabinet said in a statement. “Saudi Arabia will support Pakistan to confront terrorism that threatens its national unity.”
At the beginning of the meeting, King Abdullah spoke about the significance of National Day, which was observed throughout the Kingdom yesterday. He noted the efforts made by King Abdul Aziz and his men to unify the Kingdom. He said Saudi Arabia would continue its endeavors to strengthen the Arab and Islamic Ummah and promote world peace.
King honors prizewinners
King Abdullah received Interior Minister Prince Naif, members of the Higher Commission for Prince Naif International Award for Islamic Studies and Sunnah and this year’s award winners.
In an extempore speech on the occasion, King Abdullah emphasized the need for strengthening Muslim unity.
“Islam is a religion of truth, justice and equality,” he said, adding the activities of some of its followers have tarnished the image of Islam. The king also congratulated the winners of Prince Naif award.
Naif condemns terrorism
Interior Minister Prince Naif stated in remarks published yesterday that Saudi Arabia was still facing a terrorist threat.
“Despite our achievements in destroying terrorist cells, we cannot say that terrorism has ended in the Kingdom,” he said.
Prince Naif expressed his deep sorrow over the participation of highly qualified Saudis in terrorist activities. He called upon Islamic scholars and writers to exert more efforts to protect the youth from terrorist ideologies. The interior minister emphasized the joint efforts of Saudi Arabia and Yemen to fight terrorism. “We have excellent security cooperation and we exchange information,” he said.
Prince Naif estimated the number of Saudis being held in Iraq at about 60. Saudi Arabia and Iraq are in the process of signing an extradition treaty.
Pilgrim transport
According to the changes made to the pilgrim transportation law, the agent or the Saudi carrier will provide an unconditional bank guarantee of not less than SR100,000 and not more than SR200,000 to the General Authority of Civil Aviation or the Saudi Ports Authority in the name of the Haj Ministry to meet the housing and food expenses of pilgrims. They have to pay if full or part of the amount was used.
