Prince Turki made the call while speaking in the second working session of the Arab Economic Forum here.

While discussing major issues in the Middle East, Prince Turki, chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, said that there were three hypotheses in dealing with the arms race. "Either do nothing with regard to their nuclear programs, start arming ourselves with nuclear weapons or continue our call to make the region free from all nuclear weapons," the prince added.

Israel is the only known nuclear power in the Middle East, but the country does not acknowledge its nuclear arsenal as a matter of state policy.

The prince said there had been a change in the stand of the five permanent members of the Security Council to make the region free from nuclear weapons. "Under this situation we have to double our efforts to make these states respond to our legitimate and agreed upon demands."

Prince Turki also stressed the significance of having total agreement and coordination between all Arab countries without exception. He appealed to the Arab League to establish a unified view on US-Israeli relations to be presented to the White House.

He also favored direct negotiations between a coalition of Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinians on one side and Israel on the other.

Arab states should not concede anything in indirect talks with Israel until final agreements are reached between Israel on the one hand and Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinians on the other, he added.

Prince Turki stressed the need for an Arab common market. "The financial and economic weight of the Kingdom qualifies it to be at the center of and a driving force for the common market because the Kingdom's GDP represents 25 percent of the GDP of the entire Arab countries," the prince said.

The prince suggested that the Arab common market project get support from all Arab countries just as the European Union and the ASEAN member states back their respective common markets.