RIYADH: King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, expressed his gratitude to the people of the Kingdom Monday for their “sincere emotions and positive reaction” to Friday's royal speech and the Royal Orders issued to support public interest and the state's civil and military institutions. King Abdullah urged ministers and officials to execute the orders as swiftly as possible. Chairing the weekly Cabinet meeting Monday, King Abdullah briefed ministers on his contacts of the last week with world leaders addressing bilateral relations and international developments, including messages from Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Chinese President Hu Jintao, and telephone calls from King Juan Carlos of Spain, US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency after the meeting, Abdul Aziz Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information, said the Cabinet expressed its gratitude to King Abdullah for his address to the nation and the Royal Orders which they described as “reflecting the due attention he gives to the country's prosperity and the wellbeing of the people”. Ministers also prayed to Allah to bestow His blessings on the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and for continued peace and stability in the Kingdom. Khoja said the Cabinet was briefed on regional and international developments and discussed events in a number of Arab countries, and that the Cabinet reiterated the Kingdom's firm stand towards the events and stressed the importance of maintaining people's security and safety and the stability and integrity of their countries. The Cabinet also reviewed scientific, cultural and economic activities taking place in the Kingdom over the last week, including the sixth session of the Prince Sultan International Holy Qur'an Contest and Jeddah Economic Forum, with its title of “Changes in the 21st Century”.
