The Council of Ministers Monday agreed to set up a SR1-million the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' prize for honoring innovators and the talented. Ten winners of the prize will get SR100,000 each. Chaired by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Cabinet also affirmed the Royal Order issued last week that fatwas can only be issued by the Board of Senior Ulema and other approved scholars. This order was issued to prevent confusion and division among Muslims. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the meeting, Dr. Abdulaziz Khoja, the Minister of Culture and Information, conveyed the Cabinet's sorrow and regret on the demise of Dr. Ghazi Bin Abdulrahman Al-Gosaibi, Minister of Labor, who died Sunday. Moving to the domestic agenda, the meeting decided that the Cabinet's resolution No. 239 dated 27/8/1425 H. is applied to all express mail drivers affiliated to the Main Supply Department of the Maintenance Corps of the Land Forces and similar units. The Cabinet approved the diplomatic and consular cooperation agreement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar as well as its executive appendix signed in Doha on Feb. 22, 2010. The Cabinet approved the memorandum of understanding on bilateral political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba signed in Riyadh on Jan. 24, 2010; and the memorandum with the Republic of Ukraine signed on Oct. 30, 2009. The meeting agreed to continue work, according to paragraphs one and two of the Cabinet's resolution No. 7 dated 1/1/1422 H. regarding the importation of Palestinian goods and products, with the Saudi government shouldering the customs duties for one year, effective 11/9/1431H.
