JEDDAH, 6 January 2004 — Saudi Arabia has stepped up security for the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who have started arriving in the country for Haj from all over the world and warned anyone trying to undermine Haj security and its peaceful atmosphere.
“All pilgrims must concentrate on performing their religious duties and keep away from activities that disturb their Haj and that of fellow pilgrims,” Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, said yesterday.
Prince Abdullah was addressing the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh, which focused on the government’s preparations for Haj, the largest gathering of Muslims in the world. More than 2.5 million pilgrims are expected to perform Haj this year.
The crown prince welcomed the pilgrims and urged the departments involved in Haj duty to mobilize all their human and material resources to make the annual event a success.
“Pilgrims must be provided with all facilities to help them perform their duties with ease and comfort,” he told government officials.
Interior Minister Prince Naif has said that the Kingdom has taken maximum measures to ensure the safety of pilgrims. The measures, however, would not hinder the movement of pilgrims between the holy sites, he said.
National Dialogue
The crown prince expressed his satisfaction over the outcome of the second national dialogue forum.
“Objectivity and respect for opinion were the hallmarks of the dialogue,” Culture and Information Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy quoted the crown prince as saying.
Civil Defense Council
The Cabinet reshuffled the Civil Defense Council, which will be chaired by Interior Minister Prince Naif. The 17-member body includes Prince Ahmed, deputy interior minister (vice chairman), Prince Turki ibn Nasser, chief of the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment Protection, Prince Miteb ibn Abdullah, assistant commander of the National Guard for military affairs, and Prince Muhammad ibn Naif, assistant interior minister for security affairs.
The Cabinet meeting also decided to sign the UN agreement on preventing crimes against those under international protection such as diplomats, but expressed its reservation on the first paragraph of Article 13 of the agreement.
Income Tax Cut to 20%
The Shoura Council yesterday proposed the slashing of income tax for foreign investors from 45 to 20 percent of annual net profits.
The move aims at attracting more foreign investment to the Kingdom.
