The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet session held at Al-Yamamah Palace here today. At the outset of the session, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the Cabinet on talks, consultations and contacts he recently held with a number of leaders of brotherly and friendly countries and their envoys on means of enhancing cooperation and on the latest developments at regional and international levels. The King briefed the Cabinet on the talks he held with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques also briefed the Cabinet on the telephone call he received from King Juan Carlos of Spain and the audience he held for U.S. President's Advisor for National Security Thomas Donilon. The King hailed the depth of relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and those countries, expressing his keenness to promote them to serve the mutual interests, peace, and international stability. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz bin Mohieddin Khoja said the Cabinet reviewed a number of reports on the latest developments in Arab countries and the world, renewing the firm stances of the Kingdom towards them, stressing the contents of the Kingdom's speech in the meetings of the 66th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. The Cabinet condemned the continuation of Israeli authorities in violating the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and the continued acquisition of more Palestinian territories, including the building of 1100 housing units in 'Jello' in Eastern Al-Quds, adding that such practices and others reflect the absence of the good will of the Israeli government and its insistence on displacement of the Palestinian people as well as its confiscation of their territories and properties to undermine the prospects for creating a contiguous and viable Palestinian state. Then, the cabinet discussed a number of domestic issues and activities, conferences and scientific, cultural, literary, social and economic forums held locally. The cabinet expressed great appreciation for the donation by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques of the amount of thirty seven million dollars for ten years for the project of Messengers of Peace, which was launched during the celebration of the conclusion of the Second World Peace Camp which was held at King Abdullah University for Sciences and Technology in the presence of Carl XVI Gustaf, King of the Kingdom of Sweden, the Honorary President of the World Scout Fund, which awarded the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques the Bronze Wolf Medal, the highest honor in Scouting. The cabinet noted the opening of the Third Quality Meeting- 'Towards Globally Competitive National Products and Services'-and valued the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' speech to the conference which stressed that quality has become in our time a strategic option for progress and advancement of the economy, and that the only way for competition and active participation globally is when quality is our basic standard in everything we offer to the world. The cabinet noted the opening of the Eighth Technical Conference of the Association of Tax Authorities of Islamic Countries with participation of 25 countries and five regional and international organizations, wishing the participants in the conference success in achieving fruitful results for all participating countries. The cabinet commended the advancement of the Kingdom to the sixteenth rank globally from the twenty sixth place in 2010, according to Global Competitiveness Report prepared and published by the World Economic Forum in Geneva. The cabinet congratulated winners of membership of municipal councils at the second session in all regions of the kingdom, and wished all success in serving their cities, provinces and centers and fulfilling the aspirations of their constituents regarding the development of services provided by municipalities to all citizens in various regions of the Kingdom. Dr. Khoja said the Cabinet then continued discussion of its agenda and issued the following decisions: The Cabinet authorized Chairman of the board of Directors of King Abdulaziz Foundation-or his Deputy-to sign with the Indian side a draft cooperation agreement between King Abdulaziz Foundation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Millia Islamia University in India. The Cabinet approved a continuation of applying the current nominal rent of lands occupied by the electricity industry. The Cabinet approved a free trade agreement among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Member States and the countries of European Free Trade Association (EFTA) signed in Norway, 22/6/2009. The Cabinet approved the addition of a representative of the Ministry of Higher Education to the National Committee for Welfare of Inmates, the Released and Their Families. The Cabinet approved the organization of the National Commission for the Implementation of the Conventions Prohibiting Chemical and Biological Weapons. The Cabinet approved a transfer and appointments as follows: 1- Saad bin Ali Al Dawood is transferred from the post of Security Consultant (Rank 14) to the post of Director General of Administrative and Financial Affairs (Rank 14) at Riyadh Principality. 2- Abdulrahman bin Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Abanmy is appointed as Security Consultant at Riyadh Principality. 3- Mohammed bin Omar Badawood is appointed as Minister Plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 4- Waleed bin Hussain Abu Alhamail is appointed as Minister Plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 5- Mohammed bin Suleiman Al-Hudaithi is transferred from the post of Director General of the Minister's Office (Rank 14) to the post of Director General of the Private Education (Rank 14) at the Ministry of Higher Education. 6- Abdullatif bin Abdulrahman Al Faris is appointed as Director General of the Minister's Office at the Ministry of Higher Education. 7- Mohammed bin Ali Al-Marshad is appointed as Legal Consultant (Rank 14) at the Ministry of Finance. 8- Mohammed bin Zaid Al-Nikhilan is appointed as Director General of the National Center of Financial and Economic Information (Rank 14) at the Ministry of Finance.
