Cabinet Meeting 12-3-1427H 10-4-2006
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet's weekly session at Al-Yamamah palace in Riyadh.
At the outset of the sessions, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the Cabinet on the contents of meetings, consultations and contacts held over the previous days which dealt with regional issues, bilateral relations and international affairs.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques commended the visit the King of Spain Juan Carlos and the accompanying delegation paid to the Kingdom. The visit embodies friendly feelings and close relations binding the two countries. King Abdullah expressed his appreciation of Spain for its initiatives to strengthen the values of dialogue and mutual understanding among civilizations.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, the Minister of Culture and Information Iyad bin Amin Madani said that the Cabinet noted in this regard that the visit of the King of Spain and the previous visits of presidents of France, Austria and other leaders to the Kingdom have demonstrated the major role of the Kingdom at the international arena and its strategic relations with all powers of the world which have used in advancing the issues of the homeland, Arab and Islamic nations and international rapprochement.
With regards to the Arab arena, the Cabinet expressed its hopes that the Iraqi leaders will succeed in forming a national unity government to build the state's institutions, to strengthen Iraq's unity and independence, to distance Iraq from foreign intervention, and to run its own affairs.
The Cabinet also hoped that the next meeting of Iraq's neighboring countries would lead to supporting Iraq's unity, independence and future.
The Cabinet expressed its confidence that the world community will not be affected by Israel's policies aiming at isolating and besieging the Palestinian leadership.
The Cabinet also stressed that the only way to achieve peace in the region calls for the activation of the relevant agreements and international resolutions and the adoption of the "Road Map" and "Arab Peace Initiative'' endorsed by Beirut Arab Summit in 2002 as a reference.
The Minister of Culture and Information said the Cabinet then reviewed the local items on its agenda and issued the following decisions:
The Minister of Foreign Affairs or his deputy was authorized to discuss with the Egyptian side a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Republic of Egypt to form a follow-up and political consultation committee, sign the MoU and forward the final version for further authentication.
The Cabinet approved the system of the General Commission for Sponsoring the Money of legally minor persons, submitted to it by the Shoura Council.
According to the legislation, the Commission will be in charge of and running the money of minors who have no relative sponsors, or the ineligible, or those lacking eligibility, or the money with no inheritor claimant, and money of the absent and the missing until they are back. It will also keep the disputed blood money until it is settled.
The Commission was authorized to invest the money of those covered by law according to Islamic Sharia. The law becomes valid after 90 days of its publication in the official gazette.
Based on a decision taken by the Supreme Economic Council, the Cabinet decided the following bench prices for a number of crude oils:
heavy crude oil 6.30 Halalas/ liter
180 centistock fuel oil 6.00 Halalas/liter
380 centistock fuel oil 4.90 Halalas/liter.
The Cabinet decreed that desalination and power stations to be installed along the Saudi coasts in the future, have to use fuel oil or heavy crude.
The above-mentioned prices will be reviewed every five years but will remain unchanged for ten years for any consumer who have signed a long-term contract with Saudi Aramco, effective the date of signing his contract, said the Cabinet. The statement added that the decision will take effect on the date of its publication in the official gazette.
The Cabinet ratified the final accounts of the Human Resources Development Fund for the year ending on 31st of December 2004.
On recommendations of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ahmed bin Habeeb Salah was appointed representative of the Ministry of Economy and Planning at the Board of Directors of the Saudi Industrial Development Fund.
The Cabinet also approved the appointment of Dr. Bandar bin Abdul Mohsin bin Musaed Al Ghinawi as Medical Consultant at the National Guard; Dr. Hasan bin Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Al Sheikh as Director General for Financial and Budget Affairs at the Naval Forces; Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud as Minister Plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Dr. Ahmed bin Suleiman bin Ibrahim Alaqeel as Minister Plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On the other hand Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, has approved granting a number of physicians of the Ministry of Health and the Saudi Red Crescent Society Medals of Rescue in appreciation of their efforts in the work of the Saudi mobile field hospital in Baghdad and the services they provided for the Iraqi people.
Those who received the medals were Dr. Mansoor bin Nasir Al Hawasi, Dr. Qasim bin Othman Al Qasabi, Dr. Khalid bin Abdul Rahman Al Hosain, Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammad Al Baddah, Dr. Mishaal bin Abdullah Al Mishaal, Dr. Motlaq bin Obaid Al Osaimi, Pharmacist Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Aqeel, Pharmacist Salim bin Ahmad Bawazeer, Dr. Khalid bin Mohammad Al Mirghalani, Dr. Mowafaq bin A'taa Al Boyook and Dr. Saif Aldeen bin Mohammad Abu Zaid.