JEDDAH, 24 July — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd said yesterday Saudi Arabia would continue its unlimited support to the Palestinians in their struggle against Israeli occupation until their legitimate rights, including the right to an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital, were restored.
Briefing the Council of Ministers on his talks with Palestine President Yasser Arafat, King Fahd highlighted the government’s efforts to stop Israeli atrocities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Cabinet welcomed resolutions adopted by Arab League foreign ministers during an emergency meeting in Cairo recently. The ministers stressed that Arab countries would stand with the Palestinians, their leadership and the intifada to confront Israeli threats and aggressive policies.
Information Minister Dr. Fuad Al-Farsi said the Cabinet meeting expressed satisfaction over a call made by G-8 foreign ministers meeting in Italy to send international observers to the Middle East saying that such a move would pave way for implementing the Mitchell peace plan.
Referring to a Cabinet decision for setting up a separate ministry for water, the meeting said the success of the new ministry in the management and supply of water would depend on prudent and careful use of water by citizens and expatriates.
As part of the government’s administrative reforms, the Cabinet decided to transform the department for survey under the Defense Ministry into a corporate body, named as the General Authority for Survey, with an independent budget. Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, will supervise the authority’s functioning.
The Cabinet also decided to establish an official translation section under its Council of Experts.
A scientific council for translation will be set up under the body and will hire a number of university professors and experts as part-timers. Al-Farsi said translation sections at universities, scientific institutions and government departments would not be affected by the decision.
The Cabinet meeting appointed Ibrahim ibn Suleiman Al-Bazie and Ali ibn Ibrahim Al-Nasir as members to the board of the Water and Sewage Department in Tabuk for a three-year period. It appointed Muhammad ibn Hamoud Al-Mazeed as administrative adviser at the Ministry of Finance and National Economy and Dr. Amr ibn Ibrahim Rajab as assistant undersecretary for legal affairs at the Commerce Ministry.
