King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has ordered payment of a total of SR1.15 billion to assist needy Saudi families during the holy month of Ramadan which begins Monday. The most needy categories in Saudi society include the aged, sick people, the disabled, widows, orphans, and divorced and displaced women, said Minister of Social Affairs Yousef Al-Otheimin, who announced the King's order. The minister said the Ramadan payment would be in addition to the monthly stipends going to the needy families covered by social insurance, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The Cabinet in January had raised social insurance benefits by 10 percent under a 17-point plan to alleviate the impact of rising prices. As a result, social insurance payments now total around SR1 billion per month. __
