RIYADH, 19 October — Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, returned here yesterday after talks with UAE President Zayed ibn Sultan Al-Nahayan in Abu Dhabi on major developments in the region, including the US threat to strike Iraq.
"The two leaders rejected any military attack on Iraq," Asharq Al-Awsat reported quoting a high level UAE source.
"They discussed major developments at Gulf, Arab, Islamic and international levels as well as ways of strengthening bilateral ties," Saudi Press Agency reported. "The talks focused on the situation in Palestine and new developments in the region," it added.
The crown prince, who was accompanied by a high-level delegation including Prince Abdul Rahman, deputy minister of defense and aviation, and Prince Nawaf, director of intelligence, flew to Abu Dhabi from Al-Ahsa on a short visit at the conclusion of a several-day inspection tour of the Eastern Province.
In a press statement issued at the end of his Eastern Province tour, Prince Abdullah highlighted the unity and cohesion of Saudi people. He also commended the Saudis’ sense of patriotism. "I have seen and felt this national spirit in every part of the country," he said, and commended the Saudis for their active participation in the country’s development process.
Earlier in Al-Ahsa yesterday, Prince Abdullah inaugurated a textile factory established by Al-Ahsa Development Company at a cost of SR160 million. It manufactures more than 58 varieties of clothes.
Industry and Electricity Minister Dr. Hashim Yamani described the factory as one of the largest industrial complexes in the Kingdom. He said there are 177 textile and ready-made dress factories in the country involving a total capital investment of SR4 billion.
The textile factory, a joint venture with a Japanese company, is located in the Al-Ahsa industrial city. Covering an area of 1.5 million square meters, the city houses 122 operating factories worth SR20 billion.
