King Salman’s team takes charge in Saudi Arabia

February 2, 2015

Jeddah, Feb 2: Saudi Arabia is all set for a new era under Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman as the newly appointed ministers and regional governors took oath of office in front of the king at Al-Yamamah Palace on Sunday.

team

King Salman urged the new governors and ministers to give top priority for the welfare and prosperity of citizens. “May Allah help us all to serve our religion, nation and people,” the king said in a brief speech.

He expressed his confidence in the new governors and ministers who took oath of office on Sunday, describing them as “the roots of this country founded by King Abdul Aziz.”

He highlighted Saudi Arabia’s position as the heart of the Muslim world and the cradle of Islam.

King Salman called upon Saudis to strengthen their unity and solidarity to bolster the Kingdom’s security and stability. He noted the great contributions made by previous kings.

“King Abdullah always advised me to give top priority for our citizens and our religion,” the king said.

Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar, State Minister Prince Mansour bin Miteb, National Guard Minister Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, Defense Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Islamic Affairs Minister Saleh Al-Asheikh, Education Minister Azzam Al-Dakhil and Culture and Information Minister Adel Al-Toraifi were sworn in during the ceremony. They swore separately: “In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful, I swear by Allah Almighty to be loyal to my religion, king and country, and not to divulge the state secrets, to maintain its interests and regulations, and to perform my duties sincerely, honestly and faithfully.”

Other ministers who took oath were: Justice Minister Walid Al-Samaani, State Minister Matlab Al-Nafeesa, State Minister Musaed Al-Aiban, Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali Al-Naimi, Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah Al-Hussayen and Labor Minister Adel Fakeih.

Housing Minister Shuwaish Al-Dhuwaihi; Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar; Economy and Planning Minister Mohammed Al-Jasser, Minister of Commerce and Industry Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, Minister of State for Shoura Affairs Mohammed Abusaq, Minister of State Essam bin Saeed; Minister of Transport Abdullah Al-Muqbil, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammed Al-Suwaiyel; Minister of Social Affairs Majed Al-Qassabi, Minister of State Saad Al-Jabri, Minister of State Mohammed Al-Asheikh; Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Abdul Latif Al-Asheikh; Minister of Health Dr. Ahmed Al-Khateeb; Minister of Civil Service Khaled Al-Araj, Minister of Agriculture Abdul Rahman Al-Fadli, and Assistant Shoura President Yahya Al-Samaan.

In a statement after taking oath, Al-Toraifi thanked King Salman for the appointment. “I thank the king for the trust bestowed on me. I value this trust and I am proud of it. I hope that I will live up to the expectations.”

Abdul Rahman Al-Zamil, president of the Council of Saudi Chambers, said he expected a new era of cooperation between the public and private sectors during King Salman’s era.

“There has been high optimism in business circles after King Salman ascended the throne,” he said.

Al-Zamil commended King Salman’s open-door policy that gave an opportunity for citizens to present their complaints to government departments. “We know King Salman for the last 50 years as governor of Riyadh,” he said while praising his efforts to make Riyadh a world-class city.

Samira Al-Suwayegh, chairperson of the Executive Council for Businesswomen at Asharqia Chamber, said the new decisions issued by the king would help achieve sustainable development. “It will also open new horizons of progress in the economic sector and open the door for women to participate in economic and investment ventures inside and outside the Kingdom,” she said.

Rima Al-Shahrani, a businesswoman, said King Salman’s programs would have a positive impact on the national economy and create more job opportunities for Saudi men and women. “It will also improve the living condition of citizens across the country,” she added.

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MURUGAN RAMASAMY
 - 
Wednesday, 24 Feb 2016

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News Network
May 20,2020

Cairo, May 20: A senior Kuwaiti lawmaker has called for imposing a tax on expatriates’ remittances to shore up the country’s finances.

MP Khalil Al Saleh, the head of the parliament’s Human Resources Committee, has presented a draft law on the proposed tax to the legislature.

“Imposing fees on expatriates’ transfers will have a role in improving the state's revenues and diversify sources of income,” he told Al Rai newspaper.

Migrant workers transfer about 4.2 billion dinars annually from Kuwait, he added, citing figures from Kuwait’s Central Bank.

“This system is in effect in most countries of the world and in more than one Gulf country. Expats there have not objected to it. Allowing this money to exit the country is very dangerous and has a direct effect on economy,” MP Al Saleh said.

“We do not target brotherly expats because imposing symbolic fees on financial transfers will not affect their money, but will have a positive effect on the state’s sources,” he said. “This has become a necessity after the money transferred outside Kuwait has reached 4.2 billion dinars annually without the state [Kuwait] making any benefit from this.”

Foreign workers make up 3.3 million of Kuwait’s 4.6 million population.

Several Kuwaiti public figures have recently pushed for redrawing the demographic imbalance in the country, accusing expatriates of straining health facilities and increasing the Covid-19 threat.

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Agencies
July 31,2020

Makkah, Jul 31: Organising this year's scaled-down hajj required "double efforts" by Saudi authorities amid the coronavirus pandemic, King Salman said Friday after being discharged from hospital following gall bladder surgery.

Only up to 10,000 people already residing in the kingdom are participating in this year's pilgrimage, compared with 2019's gathering of some 2.5 million from around the world.

"Holding the ritual in the shadow of this pandemic... required reducing the numbers of pilgrims, but it obliged various official agencies to put in double efforts," 84-year-old King Salman said in a speech read out on state television by acting media minister Majid Al-Qasabi.

"The hajj this year was restricted to a very limited number of people from multiple nationalities, ensuring the ritual was completed despite the difficult circumstances," he said.

The speech came on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice, a day after the king left hospital following a 10-day stay for surgery to remove his gall bladder.

The hajj, which began on Wednesday, is one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime.

Authorities implemented the "highest health precautions" during the rituals, the king said.

Pilgrims, who were all tested for the virus, are required to wear masks and observe social distancing.

For Friday's "stoning of the devil", the last major ritual of the hajj, Saudi authorities offered the pilgrims pebbles that were sanitised to protect against the pandemic.

In a sign that its strict measures were working, the health ministry reported no coronavirus cases in the holy sites on Wednesday or Thursday.

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Agencies
February 16,2020

Al-Jawf, Feb 16: At least 31 people were killed and 12 others were injured here in the al-Maslub district in airstrikes by the Saudi-UAE-led military coalition on Saturday.

"Preliminary field reports indicate that as many as 31 civilians were killed and 12 others injured in strikes that hit al-Hayjah area of the al-Maslub district in al-Jawf governorate," said a statement from the office of the UN resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator for Yemen.

According to Al Jazeera, the airstrike was conducted hours after the Yemeni Houthis said that they downed a Saudi fighter jet in the same region.

Commenting on the air raids, Lise Grande, the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, said: "We share our deep condolences with the families of those killed and we pray for the speedy recovery of everyone who has been injured in these terrible strikes."

"So many people are being killed in Yemen - it's a tragedy and it's unjustified. Under international humanitarian law, parties that resort to force is obligated to protect civilians," Grande was quoted as saying.

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