Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud presided over the weekly Cabinet session at al-Yamamah Palace here on Monday evening. The session dealt with a number of domestic topics pertaining to preparations of the Ministries and various governmental sectors for the state's General Budget for the year 1421-1422AH.

The Cabinet was briefed by the Ministers concerned on the proposed projects within the framework of the second year of the seventh five-year Development Plan. The Cabinet was also briefed by the Minister of Finance and National Economy on the budget's features and its welfare indicators for the country to strengthen further its steady development and progress in all vital fields.

Following the session, Minister of Information Dr Fouad bin Abdul Salam Al-Farsy said that the monarch gave directives that priority in financial appropriations should be given to services relating to the needs of citizens directly and that care should be accorded to everything relating to the citizens in their capacity as the foundation of the Kingdom’s development.

In the Arab arena, the Minister of Information said that King Fahd reviewed the tragic situation of the Palestinian people ensuing from Israel's escalating aggression, stressing the necessity that the world community should bring an end to Palestinian suffering by forcing Israel to comply with all international resolutions and relevant bilateral agreements that demand the Palestinian right to self determination and the establishment of an independent state with al-Quds as its capital.

After reviewing the report submitted by the Minister of Finance and National Economy on the decision issued by the Supreme Council of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council in its session held in Riyadh during the period from Shaaban 19 to 21, 1420AH, on setting up GCC customs union effective from March 1, 2005, the Cabinet decided that the concerned bodies should take the measures necessary to implement the decision.

The Cabinet also approved appointments of Prince Dr Mohammed bin Salman bin Mohammed Al Saud to the post of Director General of Follow-up at the Ministry of Interior, Prince Abdullah bin Fahd bin Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Saud to the post of Assistant Undersecretary of the Governorate for Security Affairs in Makkah region and Dr Saad bin Abdulrahman Al-Ammar to the post of Director General of Employment at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. All three appointments were at grade 14.

The Cabinet also endorsed appointments of Dr Abdul Aziz bin Sulaiman Al-Ateeq to the post of Director General of Business Administration of the Higher Economic Council at its General Secretariat and Dr Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saleh to the post of Secretary General of the Higher Education Council. Both appointments were at grade 15.

Source: SPA