RIYADH: The Council of Ministers, presided over by Crown Prince Sultan, on Monday commended the efforts of public departments and private organizations for making this year’s Haj a big success and enabling pilgrims to perform rituals in safety and comfort.
“We have seen excellent cooperation among all departments and agencies involved in Haj — in implementing security, service, organizational and preventive plans set out by the state,” Prince Sultan said.
Prince Sultan, meanwhile, ordered payment of a generous cash gift to all children of armed forces personnel who either died or were missing or injured during the military operation to drive the Yemeni infiltrators out of the Kingdom.
Addressing the weekly meeting, Sultan also wished every success to the GCC summit meeting in Kuwait and hoped that it would adopt important resolutions to strengthen the six-member group and reinforce peace and stability in the Gulf. He expressed his gratitude to King Abdullah for the tremendous care and support while he was abroad for treatment and recuperation. He also thanked world leaders and Saudi citizens for expressing their good feelings and offering sincere prayers for him.
Higher Education Minister and Acting Information Minister Khaled Al-Anqari said the Cabinet congratulated Prince Sultan on achieving full recovery and wished him good health.
The Cabinet authorized Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif to sign two agreements with Australia and Tanzania for cooperation in fighting crime. Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal has been assigned to meet his Kyrgyz counterpart in order to sign a cooperation agreement between the two countries. The meeting endorsed a memorandum of understanding signed with Djibouti for scientific and educational cooperation.
The Kingdom has decided to join the Patent Cooperation Treaty of the World Intellectual Property Organization as well as to the Patent Law Treaty, Al-Anqari said.
Meanwhile, Prince Naif on Monday appointed Maj. Gen. Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, director of the Civil Defense in the Eastern Province, while Brig. Abdullah Jeddawi has been named director of the same department in Jeddah.
