JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah said Saturday that Saudi armed forces had driven the last of the Yemeni infiltrators out of Saudi territory.

Speaking to Kuwait’s Al-Seyassah Arabic daily, King Abdullah said his instructions to Saudi forces were “clear,” that their military operations should be confined to Saudi territory without entering Yemen.

Prince Khaled bin Sultan, assistant minister of defense and aviation for military affairs, said Tuesday the conflict was nearing an end, with at least 73 Saudi soldiers killed in fighting against Yemeni intruders since November.

King Abdullah said his orders to the army were to “only drive away infiltrators and preserve the security and borders” of the Kingdom. “We are not a nation that interferes in other countries’ affairs and do not accept other countries interfering in ours,” he said.

King Abdullah said the infiltrators came with an evil intention in order to create chaos and confusion in the land of the Two Holy Mosques. “Be they a group or a government, Saudi Arabia will remain protected by the Grace of God and with the support of its brave forces,” the king said. “The destiny of those who sell their religion and nation for money and other vested interests is failure,” the Saudi leader said, indicating the infiltrators were supported by foreign parties.

‘Officials to pay for flood disaster’

On the Nov. 25 flash floods in Jeddah, King Abdullah said officials responsible for the catastrophe would be taken to task.

“We’ll not show any leniency toward those who were negligent in carrying out their duties. The floods have shown us what we should do in the coming days in order to improve the infrastructure in Jeddah and other cities.”

In his wide-ranging interview with the daily, King Abdullah described current oil prices as satisfactory. “We predicted an oil price of $75 to $80 per barrel at the beginning of the year as what we considered acceptable, and now prices have reached this level,” the king said. “(We expect) the price will stabilize or increase marginally,” he added.

Vibrant economy

King Abdullah also expressed confidence in the state of the country’s economy, which he said had successfully managed to withstand the global financial crisis.

“The effects of the crisis have not caused people to panic. Our sovereign wealth funds have not been affected and we are maintaining a rate of growth that is lower but remains positive,” he said. “We have experienced sustained economic activity; the GDP is growing and inflation has slowed,” said the king, who recently announced the 2010 budget that projected spending at SR540 billion.

He said national budgets that focus on spending were instrumental in reducing the impact of the global crisis. He said the impact of the global financial crisis on the Kingdom had been less than expected.

Stronger GCC

Speaking about the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, King Abdullah said he hoped the GCC would emerge a stronger group than the European Union, because GCC states are bound by a single religion, language and culture. “I want the GCC to be a single and effective force.”

He believed that sincere dialogue was the best way to settle differences and misunderstandings between Arab and Muslim countries. “Arabs should learn from past experiences and look at the future with responsibility. They should also learn from the GCC’s fruitful experience.” He said he was extremely pleased when the GCC leaders expressed their solidarity against the Yemeni infiltrators who attacked the Kingdom.

New TV channels

Asked about the four new television channels to be launched in the Kingdom including a Channel for the Holy Qur’an and another for Sunnah, the king said they were aimed at introducing the Islamic faith and culture in the correct perspective.

During the interview, King Abdullah expressed his optimism concerning the future. He was happy over the unity and solidarity demonstrated by GCC leaders during their last summit conference in Kuwait. He said the projects approved by the summit would help achieve sustained development in the Gulf, benefiting all its people.