RIYADH: Chairing the weekly Cabinet Monday, Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, thanked Almighty Allah for the success of the operation on King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to stabilize column vertebrae. He also expressed optimism for the new Hijri year beginning Tuesday. “It is my heartfelt wish that the coming year will be one of blessings and welfare for the Islamic World, Arab nations and the entire world,” the Crown Prince said. He prayed to God that the nations of the world achieve their wish for peace, stability and security, and reiterated the need to work “hand in hand to bring together the peoples of the world and serve the noble purposes of mankind”. “That will result in strengthening and deepening the values advocated by the different religions and cultures including the Islamic religion which advocates the principles of love, brotherhood, mercy and tolerance and promotes the values of justice, fraternity and love all over the world,” he said. Abdul Aziz Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information, said in a statement to Saudi Press Agency after the meeting that Prince Sultan expressed the nation's wishes on behalf of King Abdullah that the GCC Summit in the United Arab Emirates fulfills the aspirations of the GCC leaders and peoples. The minister also said that the Cabinet expressed satisfaction at the annual World Bank report on business activities, ranking the Kingdom first out of Arab countries and the Middle East for the year 2010, and 11th in the world out of 183 countries. On domestic issues, Khoja said the Cabinet approved a recommendation from the Crown Prince and the Ministerial Administrative Organization Council for permanent status to be given to an existing committee under a new name – the National Geographic Data System Committee - which will be based at the General Survey Authority. The committee is tasked with drawing up national policy and setting priorities for the geographic data system, developing human potential through the training strategy, and organizing a national conference on the geographic data system in the Kingdom every three years. Cabinet also approved an agreement for the establishment of diplomatic ties between the Kingdom and the Republic of San Marino signed in New York on March 31, 2009, and a tax evasion agreement between Saudi Arabia and Vietnam.
