JEDDAH/RIYADH: The Council of Ministers yesterday called for greater international coordination and cooperation among countries and organizations to combat the swine flu pandemic, as the number of people infected with the H1N1 virus in the Kingdom rose to 14 in two weeks.

The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, heard a report from Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah on Kingdomwide efforts to combat swine flu, including preparations for Haj and Umrah, as well as Arab plan to fight the disease.

The Ministry of Health yesterday reported three more cases of swine flu in Riyadh, Dhahran and Madinah. The new cases included a Filipino nurse working at King Fahd National Guard Hospital. She had come to the King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh on June 10 by Cathay Pacific flight 330200 from the Philippines via Bahrain. The second case was a 13-year-old boy, who is the brother of the patient already admitted to Saudi Aramco Hospital. The third case of detection was of an eight-month-old infant girl whose father was diagnosed with the infection and is currently being treated at King Fahd Hospital in Madinah.

Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Khaled Mirghalani said the patients who are already receiving treatment are fast recovering and are in sound health. “We never thought that our specialists would cure this problem so easily,” he said, describing the flu’s attack as mild.

He insisted that those who had traveled with the infected passengers get in touch with the ministry if they develop any symptoms of the disease.

At the weekly meeting, the Cabinet referred to the king’s inspection of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, near Jeddah. The international research university would be officially opened on the Kingdom’s National Day on Sept. 23. Studies will start Sept. 5 for 10 science specializations and 10 research centers with a total of 400 students.

Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja said the Cabinet decided that the state would continue to finance activities of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) to promote domestic tourism. It also approved the formation of tourism development companies to develop new resorts. Such companies will receive state funding.

“SCTA will benefit from revenues its receives for its various services,” the Cabinet said.