“The king’s recovery has delighted every citizen and resident of the Kingdom as well as Muslims living in all parts of the world,” said Shoura Council Chairman Abdullah Al-Asheikh at the beginning of the 67th session of the council.
Al-Asheikh said people should also pray for the well being of Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, and Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif.
He also stressed that the sentiments expressed by people truly reflect the strong bond between the leadership and the Kingdom’s citizens.
On behalf of the council, Al-Asheikh prayed for the longevity of King Abdullah and for his safe return to the Kingdom to continue his good work to build a stronger nation.
The house also registered its thanks to the king for presenting the highest national budget in history with plans to spend SR580 billion ($154.7 billion) in 2011 and invest over SR400 billion ($106 billion) in education and infrastructure to spur growth and create jobs for the country’s fast-growing population.
“The budget reflects the king’s vision in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of citizens toward an integrated growth in the country,” he said.
Describing it as a people-centered budget, Al-Asheikh said it has allocated SR150 billion for education and human resource development, which is an investment that would benefit the country and its people.
He said increased votes for education would pave the way for more schools, colleges, universities and vocational training institutes for both boys and girls. “Because of the clear vision of the monarch, the country was able to forge ahead in the economic sector,” he said.
The house pointed out that being a member of the G20, the Kingdom was able to attract a large volume in foreign direct investments (FDI). Foreign direct investments in the Kingdom amounted to $38 billion in 2008,which is equal to 42 percent of the total investments attracted by countries in West Asia.
The house approved a draft agreement to set up a joint committee between the Kingdom and Syria. Shoura Council Secretary-General Muhammad Al-Ghamdi said the draft agreement would help the Kingdom coordinate several new projects with Syria. The house also approved a draft memorandum of understanding between the GCC countries and China.
On receiving a report from its Finance Committee, the members unanimously approved a draft agreement between the Kingdom and Tunisia on avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion in respect to taxes on income.
The council also approved a draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space between the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
The council also discussed the annual report of the Saudi Industrial Development Fund for the fiscal year 1430/1431 AH.
