"Saudis are a faithful and loyal people fashioned by the character and manners of Islam and I congratulate Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan for this," he said.

Prince Naif made this comment while opening a conference of GCC municipal officials. He said those who intended to hold protest marches on Friday wanted to create chaos and confusion in the country.

"But they have proved that they do not know the people of Saudi Arabia. Our people have proved to the whole world the unity and cohesion between them and the Saudi leadership," he said.

There was an Internet campaign to hold demonstrations across the Kingdom on Friday and some social websites called it a "Day of Rage." But nothing happened. "There were no demonstrations anywhere in the Kingdom," said Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the Interior Ministry.

"Our people are a noble and loyal people. They will not be deceived by falsifications," Prince Naif said. He said King Abdullah was very much impressed by the noble stand taken by the Saudi people.

Prince Naif thanked all Saudi people as well as the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars, headed by Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, for standing by the Saudi leadership and giving a strong reply to the instigators.

He commended the security and stability in the Kingdom and other GCC countries.

"Our leaders wish to provide means of a decent living for all citizens and mobilize their countries' resources for this purpose," the minister said, and emphasized the need for protecting the achievements of GCC countries.

He said GCC citizens are better off compared to their counterparts in many other countries in the region. He stressed the importance of the role of municipalities in developing GCC cities and creating a cultural atmosphere for people living in those cities. He called for greater cooperation and coordination among the GCC countries in municipal and other areas.