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.

Comments

MURUGAN RAMASAMY
 - 
Wednesday, 24 Feb 2016

Dear king of Saudi..

I am murugan Ramasamy from tamilnadu in India. Now I am very difficult situation so please help me in my features.. Now money is world. So life us big war .. We are victory of our sosaity . please donated some money. I will Expectations yous help. Thank you.

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
March 11,2020

Mar 11: Energy giant Saudi Aramco on Wednesday said it plans to raise its crude production capacity by one million barrels per day to 13 million bpd as a price war with Russia intensifies.

"Saudi Aramco announces that it received a directive from the ministry of energy to increase its maximum sustainable capacity from 12 million bpd to 13 million bpd," the company said in a statement to the Saudi Stock Exchange.

The decision comes a day after the world's top exporter, Saudi Arabia, decided to hike production by at least 2.5 million bpd to a record 12.3 million from April.

The Saudi moves come after the collapse of an oil production reduction agreement between OPEC and non-OPEC producers, including Russia.

The deal proposed by Saudi Arabia called for additional output cuts of 1.5 million bpd to cope with the severe economic impact of the coronavirus which has sharply reduced world demand for crude.

Boosting production capacity normally takes a long time and requires billions of dollars of investment.

Several years ago, the kingdom had shelved plans to boost its crude production capacity beyond 12 million bpd after demand for OPEC oil declined in the face of stiff competition from North American shale oil and other sources.

Russia on Tuesday said it was open to renewing cooperation with the OPEC cartel even as its kingpin Saudi Arabia escalated a price war with Moscow by announcing it would flood markets with new supplies.

The oil price war broke out after OPEC and a group of non-member countries dominated by Russia -- the world's second largest producer -- on Friday failed to agree on production cuts.

Saudi Arabia responded by announcing unilateral price cuts. This prompted the oil price to plummet and fuelled huge falls on stock markets around the world on Monday.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
May 26,2020

Riyadh, May 26: The authorities in Saudi Arabia have decided to ease some restrictions put in place over coronavirus fears, allowing movement and resumption of some economic and commercial activities, Saudi Press Agency reported early Tuesday citing an official source at the Interior Ministry.

The move also allows restarting of domestic flights, opening of mosques, restaurants and cafes and work attendance, however, the temporary suspension of Umrah pilgrimage remains in force.

The easing of restrictions will be carried out in a phased manner, with the first phase beginning on Thursday (May 28) and ending on May 30.

In the first phase, the movement within and between all regions of the Kingdom in private cars will be allowed from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. except in Makkah. Economic and commercial activities will resume in retail and wholesale shops and malls but beauty salons, barber shops, sports clubs, health clubs, entertainment centers and cinemas will continue to remain shut due to social distancing concerns.

In the second phase, which begins on May 31 and ends on June 20, the movement is allowed from 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. in all areas of the Kingdom, except in Makkah. All congregational prayers, including Friday prayers, will resume in all mosques across the Kingdom except in Makkah.

The suspension of workplace attendance will end, allowing all employees in ministries, government entities and private sector companies to return to working from their offices provided that they follow strict precautionary guidelines.

The suspension on travel between regions in the Kingdom using various transport methods will no longer be in place. Airlines will be allowed to operate domestic flights if they adhere to precautionary measures set by the civil aviation authority and the Ministry of Health. The suspension of international flights, will, however, continue until further notice.

Restaurants and cafes serving food and beverages can reopen, however, beauty salons, barber shops, sports clubs, health clubs, entertainment centers and cinemas will be barred from reopening in the second phase. The ban on social gatherings of more than fifty people, such as weddings and funerals will also continue to remain in force.

In the third phase commencing on June 21, the Kingdom will return to "normal" conditions as it was before the coronavirus lockdown measures were implemented.

Meanwhile in Makkah, the first phase measures will be implemented between May 31 to June 20 and the second phase will begin on May 21. Friday prayers and all congregational prayers will continue to be held in the Grand Mosque, only to be attended by Imams and the employees.

Comments

Mohammed Sarfraz
 - 
Tuesday, 26 May 2020

I think second phase is May 31 to June 20. Must be a typo. 

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
July 26,2020

Jeddah, Jul 26: The city of Makkah is opening its arms again to welcome pilgrims for the annual Hajj — although only a handful compared with previous years.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event is limited to about 1,000 pilgrims, all from inside Saudi Arabia, about 700 of whom are expatriates.

Abdullah Al-Kathiri, an Emirati and a recovered COVID-19 patient, postponed his pilgrimage last year because it coincided with his wedding plans. “I’ve heard from many who’ve performed the pilgrimage in past years that it was always a smooth process, even with the massive numbers,” he said. “So you could imagine how it would be with the limited number of pilgrims this year. Surely it will be a great experience.”

Khadija, a Bulgarian expatriate, was overcome with tears when she heard she would be performing Hajj this year. “I didn’t expect they’d accept,” she said. “I’m sure this year’s Hajj will be an exceptional one in all respects.”

Dr. Haifa Yousef Hamdoon, a Tunisian physician in Qassim, is another who did not expect to be accepted because of the low numbers this year. “When I received confirmation of my request, I was overjoyed and couldn’t believe it,” she said.

Mu’taz Mohamed, a Sudanese pilgrim who also lives in Qassim region, praised the preventive and precautionary health measures taken in order to ensure his safety and that of other pilgrims, to enable them to perform the rituals safely.

After completing their arrival procedures, the pilgrims were taken to their accommodation in Makkah, supervised by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. They will stay there for four days before beginning their pilgrimage on July 30.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.