A number of governors of regions, ministers and senior government officials today hailed the order of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to increase salaries of all categories of Saudis working at governmental departments and augment budgets of public services. Prince Fahd bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Tabuk Region, and Prince Mohammed bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Albaha Region lauded the decision as new evidence of the Saudi leadership's determination to improve the standard of living for Saudi people. In separate statements to the Saudi Press Agency, they wished the monarch every success and the Saudi people steady prosperity. On his part, the Minister of Health Dr. Hamad Almana hailed the SR3 billion increase in the budget of preliminary health care. On the occasion, he said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the world's third in health expenditure and the Middle East's first. --More 2205 Local Time 1905 GMT
