JEDDAH – King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, instructed the administrations and agencies involved in Haj services to make all efforts to provide the best quality services to the Guests of Allah. Chairing the Council of Ministers sessions here Monday, the King also called upon all agencies working in Haj to coordinate, cooperate and work with a team spirit that matches the efforts made by the government manifested in the gigantic expansion of the Two Holy Mosques and holy sites to enable pilgrims to perform their rituals in ease and comfort. The Cabinet members congratulated the King for laying the foundation stone for the largest-ever expansion project to be carried out in the history of the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah which will accommodate more than 1.6 million worshippers. In a statement following the Cabinet session, Dr. Abdul Aziz Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information, said the members approved a proposal to set up an authority for public transportation. Headquartered in Riyadh, the transportation authority will be financially and administratively independent. The authority, which is meant to streamline inter-city and intra-city public transportation, will be headed by a chairman at excellent grade. Its board of directors will be headed by the minister of transportation. The board members will include the chairman of the authority, representatives from a number of government agencies and three members from the private sector to be appointed by the Council of Ministers. The authority will formulate general transportation plans and ensure the necessary funds and financing for its activities. It will also determine the networks and routes of general transportation, work out the specifications of the means of transportation, grant licenses and permits and fix fares at a reasonable rate. Meanwhile, King Abdullah issued a Royal decree appointing Dr. Abdullah Al-Abdulqader as Deputy Chairman of the National Anti-Corruption Commission for Integrity Protection and Osamah Al-Rabiah as Deputy Chairman of the National Anti-Corruption Commission for Combating Corruption. – SG/SPA
