King Salman, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has asked authorities to redouble their efforts to accord maximum facilities to the pilgrims enabling them to perform their rituals in ease, comfort and tranquility of mind.
Presiding over the weekly Cabinet meeting here on Monday, the King welcomed the thousands of pilgrims who have already arrived in the Kingdom to perform the Haj, the fifth pillar of Islam. The King also asked the pilgrims to devote themselves to worship and Haj rituals and stay away from actions that are contrary to Islamic teachings and the noble essence of the once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage.
The King directed all government and private agencies involved in Haj services to start their consummate services to the pilgrims right from the time they are granted visa until their departure from the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.
“The Kingdom is spending billions of riyals on the expansion projects in Makkah, Madinah and other holy sites for the welfare of the pilgrims,” the King was quoted as saying by Minister of Culture and Information Adel Al-Turaifi.
The King also briefed the Cabinet on the message he received from President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow of Turkmenistan, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), said quoting Minister of Culture and Information Adel Al-Turaifi
The Cabinet appreciated King Salman’s order to pay one month salary as bonus for the military and security personnel actively involved in military operations in Yemen in recognition of their sacrifices for the religion and the homeland.
On international issues, the Cabinet renewed the Kingdom’s strong condemnation and denunciation of the bombing in Quetta city in southwestern Pakistan and Thailand that resulted in killing and wounding dozens of people.
The Cabinet appealed to the international community and the United Nations Security Council to provide immediate and urgent protection to civilians and children in Aleppo and other Syrian cities, stop blood shedding, and play an active role in facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid immediately instead of the forced displacement of children and their families. It also stressed the Kingdom’s condemnation in the strongest terms of the continuation of the Syrian regime’s violations and its allies on a daily basis against civilians and exposing women and children to killing, destroying cities by indiscriminate aerial bombardment, deliberate targeting of schools, hospitals and medical personnel and using the blockade as a tactic of war.
The Cabinet commended the success being achieved by Souk Okaz year after year which transfers the festival from the local to global framework. The Cabinet said the festival preserves the Saudi culture and heritage and shows the Kingdom’s wonderful image to the world.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has directed both government and private bodies to provide the best possible services to the guests of God.
Chairing the weekly session of the Council of Ministers at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah on Monday, the king welcomed the pilgrims who have begun arriving in the Kingdom to perform the annual pilgrimage next month.
He asked both government and private agencies to double their efforts and offer all necessary services to pilgrims at the holy sites.
He noted that the Kingdom had spent billions of riyals on projects and expansion at the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah, Madinah and at the holy sites.
The king also instructed those responsible to ease visa procedures for pilgrims at the Kingdom’s embassies as well at land, air and seaports.
He also directed that the pilgrims’ stay be made as comfortable as possible.
The king advised pilgrims to dedicate themselves to worshipping and performing the Haj rituals in the true spirit according to the teachings of Islam.
In a statement to SPA following the Cabinet session, Culture and Information Minister Adel Al-Toraifi expressed the ministers’ great appreciation and gratitude to the king for having granted a bonus of one month’s salary to soldiers and security forces on the frontlines.
The Cabinet reviewed a number of local and regional developments.
It restated the Kingdom’s condemnation and denunciation of the bombing of a hospital in Quetta, Pakistan, and the bombings in Thailand, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens of people.
Al-Toraifi said that the Cabinet had appealed to the international community and to the UN Security Council to provide immediate and urgent protection to civilians and children in Aleppo and other Syrian cities, to stop the bloodshed, and play an active role in facilitating the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid which will assist those suffering from the forced displacement of families and children.
The Cabinet also stressed the Kingdom’s strong condemnation of the continued violations by the Syrian regime and its allies which result in indiscriminate deaths and the destruction of cities, schools and hospitals.
The Cabinet condemned the use of siege as a war tactic whereby Syrians are starved to death or die from lack of medicines and medical care. Siege is a practice carried out by the forces of Assad and the terrorist Hezbollah militias.
The Cabinet reviewed the activities of the 10th Souq Okaz which enjoyed the patronage of King Salman. The Cabinet commended the steady success of the events, programs and visions that aim to preserve the country’s heritage.
The Cabinet made the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage a member of the board of directors of the Authority for Job Generation and Combating Unemployment.
It authorized the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority to issue, renew and terminate licenses given to economic and technical liaison offices.
The Islamic University in Madinah was authorized to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Maldives Islamic University.
The minister of energy and mineral resources shall discuss with the Egyptian government a memorandum of understanding for the exploitation of mineral resources in the sea bed and lands along the two countries’ joint sea borders.
The Cabinet approved the final accounts of the King Fahd Causeway for the fiscal year 1435-1436.
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