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October 22, 2004 |
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A REPORT ON THE ROLE OF PRINCE SULTAN IBN ABDUL AZIZ CHARITABLE FOUNDATION AND PRINCE SULTAN CAMPAIGN FOR HEALTHCARE. THE SHOURA COUNCIL DISCUSSES THE ANTI-NARCOTICS REGULATIONS. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has expressed optimism that this blessed month of Ramadan would provide a good opportunity to reappraise ourselves and re-examine our behavior as well as urged all Muslims to work tirelessly for the welfare of the Muslim nation. The remarks of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques came at the regular weekly session of the Cabinet, which he chaired. The Council of Ministers highlighted all contents of the directives of Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, to the Chief of the General Staff and Commanders of the armed forces and Commanders and Officers of the Public Security and Civil Defense for the crucial role they had been playing for the preservation of the country's security and safety. The Council of Ministers also reviewed the latest developments in Palestine and the inhuman practices of the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinians, and urged the international community to put pressure on Israel and force it to comply with the international resolutions. On the Iraqi problem, the Cabinet regretted continuation of violence in Iraq which has led to killing of hundreds of the innocent Iraqis, and urged all concerned parties to take the blessed month of Ramadan as a turning point for enhancing pillars of security and stability in the country. In a briefing to SPA on the Cabinet's proceedings, Minister of Culture and Information Dr Fou'ad Ibn Abdul-Salam Al-Farsi said it had reviewed topics on the agenda and adopted the following resolutions: In the light of a memorandum submitted by the Minister of Interior pertaining to the amendments on some articles of the nationality system, the Cabinet approved the amendment of articles 9, 12, 14, 16, 17, 21, 26 and 27 of the system of the Saudi Arabian nationality, issued by the Royal decree number 8/20/5604 dated on 22/2/1374. The amended articles will be as follows: Article 9: it will be possible to grant nationality to expatriates who meet the following conditions: a- He should be an adult and has been residing (in the Kingdom) for at least ten consecutive years. b- He should be fit physically and mentally. c- He should be of a good behavior and without a judicial verdict against him for imprisonment for a moral crime for a period that exceeds six months. d- He should be of a vocation that the country is in need of it. This condition is not applicable for those who were born in the Kingdom from foreign mothers and unidentified fathers. e- He should be earning money through legal methods. f- He should have a good command of the Arabic language, reading and writing. The applicant for nationality should attach his application with a residence permit and passport or any other document considered by the concerned authorities in the same status of the passport, or any other document pertaining to the nationality the applicant wants to get rid of it, or any other paper he is supposed to present in line with the rules of this system. Article 12: If a Saudi obtains the nationality of another country, this does not necessarily mean that his wife will be deprived of her nationality unless she decides to join the new nationality of her husband, and this decision is approved by the Interior Minister. As regards juvenile (non-adult sons), they will be deprived of their Saudi Arabian nationality if they join the new nationality of their father, but they will be entitled to regain their Saudi Arabian nationality within a year after becoming adults. Article 14: If the expatriate gets the Saudi Arabian nationality then: a- the nationality of his wife will become a Saudi Arabian nationality when she comes to the Kingdom and decides to seek the Saudi nationality. b- His non-adult children will gain the Saudi Arabian nationality if they are residing in the Kingdom or if they come to it before reaching full legal age. They will also have the right to select the original nationality of their father within one year from reaching the legal age. As regards the sons who reach the legal age before granting the Saudi nationality to their father, the interior minister is authorized to grant them the Saudi nationality if they are legally residing in the Kingdom for a period not less than five years, and if they present an application within one year from the date of granting their father the Saudi nationality. Article 16: The Interior Minister is authorized to grant the Saudi Arabian nationality to a foreign woman who is married to a Saudi, or who is a foreign widow of a Saudi if she asks for that and revokes her original nationality. The Interior Minister has the right to cancel her Saudi nationality if her marital relations with a Saudi no longer exist for any reason, and if she has regained her original nationality or any other foreign nationality, the executive statute will determine the required restrictions in this respect. Article 17: The Saudi woman will not be deprived of her nationality if she is married to a non-Saudi unless she decides that and announces her willingness to join the nationality of her husband. Article 21: The Cabinet is authorized to revoke the Saudi Arabian nationality of a person who has obtained it within ten years from the date of his getting the nationality in line with a proposal presented by the Interior Minister in these two cases: a- if he is convicted by a court or imprisoned for a period that exceeds one year for committing immoral act. b- if he is convicted by a court for perpetrating or participating in an act that undermines the security of the kingdom and makes him a non-grata person. Article 26: If any person presents false information or false documents intentionally for obtaining the Saudi nationality for himself or for any other one, then the Court of Grievances will impose penalty on him. The penalty will not exceed two years imprisonment or a SR 30,000 fine. Article 27: The Interior Minister will issue the executive statute for this system within 120 days from the publication of these amendments. He will also issue the required decisions in this respect. In the light of the decision of the Cabinet to divide the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs into two independent ministries, the first is called the Ministry of Labor and the other is called the Ministry of Social Affairs. The Ministry of Labor will undertake the responsibility of the Council of the Workforce. The Board of Directors of the Council will be as follows: The Minister of Labour is the Chairman, and membership of each of representatives of the ministries of Finance; Economy and Planning; Commerce and Industry; Water and Electricity, as well as the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training and the Institute of Public Institute in addition to three members representing the private sector to be nominated by the Minister of Commerce and Industry and to be appointed by the Cabinet. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, has sent a cable of congratulations to President Abdullah Yousef Ahmed on the occasion of his election as President of Somalia. In his own name and on behalf of the people and government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, wished the new president continuous health and happiness and the people of Somalia steady progress, stability and prosperity. Similar cables were sent to President-elect Abdullah Yousef Ahmed from Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General. In their cables, Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz wished the president-elect every success and his people steady progress and prosperity. On the other hand the Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz Special Education Program began in 1996 at the Arabian Gulf University in Bahrain. The program mirrors the Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Saud Foundation's efforts to support institutions focusing on special education as an academic subject. The grant of 4.5 million Saudi Riyals supports the training of specialists in the field of rehabilitation education for the physically and mentally challenged. These students come from a variety of backgrounds in the six countries of the Arabian Gulf, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The co-operation agreement between the Foundation and the Arabian Gulf University outlines six areas of development. 1. To increase the number of special education faculty. 2. To support special education training courses for students seeking employment in the six countries of the Gulf. 3. To support research programs focusing on special education programs in the six Gulf countries. 4. To convene an annual symposium or workshop for special education specialists. 5. To fund investment in rehabilitation equipment for the special education department at the University. 6. To provide four scholarships annually in special education at the Arabian Gulf University. The Foundation scholarships have allowed ten Saudi students to join the special education program at the Arabian Gulf University. These students have specialised in mental retardation, learning difficulties and gifted students. Eight of the students have further qualified for masters degrees in special education while two have achieved higher diplomas. Thirteen students remain in the program, seeking their higher diplomas and masters degrees. In addition, several students have joined short-term courses in special education. Since its beginning on Shaban 20, 1415 (January 21, 1995), the Foundation has strived to promote humanitarian, educational, social and cultural services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and around the world. The Foundation's programs encompass a variety of fields including medicine, science & technology, communications and education. Through its efforts, the Foundation hopes to improve the skills, ability, aptitude and understanding of those who's interest or needs fall within our programs. God willing, these efforts will grant individuals the tools necessary to reach their goals and aspirations. All of these aspirations are made possible by the generous support and continued direction of Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz Al- Saud. One of the primary objectives of the Arabian Gulf University is to provide education and training of scholars and specialists in the various educational programmes required by the member states, particularly in those branches of education not provided by local universities. The programmes offered under this sphere aim to fulfill the following general goals: Provide intensive training for university graduate students in the field of education to be well qualified teachers in special education. Qualifying and training teachers already working in institutions of special education . Preparing highly qualified specialists with a master degree in the different fields of special education . Conducting scientific research in the field of special education, to enrich knowledge in this area of specialization and to promote the educational process in general . Amongst the many programme provided by the Prince Sultan foundation is The Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Arab and Islamic Studies Program at the University of California, Berkeley which began on November 2, 1998. This 5 million US Dollar endowment funds a significant portion of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies' programs as follows: 1. The Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Foundation Visiting Professorship. This one million US Dollar endowment allows the University to recruit both long and short term visiting faculty from Saudi Arabia or the Arab world. These visiting professors focus on Arab and Islamic topics. 2. The Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Foundation Visiting Scholar and Graduate Fellows Program. An endowment of one million US Dollars supports visiting professional, postgraduate fellows and graduate students engaged in the study of Arab and Islamic studies. These topics include languages, history, sociology, anthropology and other disciplinary perspectives. 3. The Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Foundation Research Fund This one million US Dollar fund supports the research of faculty, visiting scholars and advanced graduate students. This research focus on historical and contemporary Arab and Islamic studies in social science, humanities and professional disciplines. This include library acquisitions, conferences and travel support. 4. The Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Foundation Outreach Fund. The public outreach efforts of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies is supported by this one million US Dollar endowment. Annual conferences, public lectures, professional workshops and other related activities are included. 5. New Quarters for the University of California at Berkeley Center for Middle Eastern Studies. The Center for Middle Eastern Studies inaugurated its new office space on July 11, 2000 funded by the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Foundation. On the other hand the second field hospital affiliated to the general administration for medical services at the armed forces has completed the third Prince Sultan campaign for primary health care in Houtat Bani Tameem and surrounding villages. The Director General of the general administration for medical services at the armed forces Major General Kutab Ibn Abdullah Al Otaibi said the aim of the campaign is to join in the services provided to the society as well as providing primary medical care to the citizens and conduct surveys in the area. Major General Al Otaibi said second field hospital include a Saudi team of 168 consultants and specialists, 13 clinics in different specializations and 7 field groups. He added that 8200 pamphlets have been distributed in the area and more than 2700 persons visited the hospital during the 14 days of the campaign. On the other hand Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz has ordered the transfer of the patient Rahma Abdullah Al Ghamdi in a special evacuation plane from Al Jarchy General hospital to Riyadh General hospital. The Director General of health affairs in Al Baha as well as the family of the patient addressed their thanks and gratitude to Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz for his kind gesture. On the other hand Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General of Military Affairs, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz Charitable Foundation, and Chairman of the board of directors of the charitable fund for the treatment of patients, has led the third meeting of the fund in the presence of Prince Faisal Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Secretary General of Prince Sultan Foundation and members of the board. The meeting reviewed the report presented by the executive committee, the recommendations, work of the fund as well as the working plan during the month of Ramadan. Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan said directed that the work of the fund should reach all areas in the Kingdom. The Fund receives donations through a bank account and aims at providing help for patients unable to provide for themselves. After the meeting Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz delivered a statement in which he said the fund was established according to the directives of Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General. Prince Khalid said the fund has accepted 42 cases from 200 applications and is studying each case separately. Prince Khalid pointed out to the fatwa which allows people to donate Zakat to this fund, and praised the support the fund receives from Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz each year, pointing out to other donors. Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan added that the board now include another member from the Ministry of Social Affairs, and said the Medical city tries to provide treatment for as much as patients as it can. In Riyadh the Shoura Council congratulated Saudi leaders, people and residents as well as Muslims everywhere on the holy month of Ramadan. The congratulation was made during a session held here today and presided over by the council chairman Dr. Salih Ibn Homaid. In a press statement following the session, the council Secretary General Dr. Homood Al Badr said the council discussed, during today's session, an amendment of an article of the regulation of Saudi Arabian Airlines, approved a regulation of ownership of real estate in GCC countries by GCC citizens for the purpose of residence and investment and continued discussion of an anti-narcotics regulation. The Shoura Council held a session presided over by its Chairman Sheikh Dr. Salih Ibn Abdullah Ibn Homaid. In a press statement to the Saudi Press Agency, the Council's Secretary General Dr. Homoud Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Badr said that the council continued its deliberations of a draft regulation concerning anti-narcotics and psychotropic substances . The Shoura (consultative council) discussed at its regular session the amendment of article 12 of the system of the Saudi Arabia Airlines (SAA) as well as issues pertaining to the ownership of the GCC citizens to real estate in the GCC member states. The Shoura also completed its discussions on combating drugs and review other topics. The Shoura Council approved the national strategy and work programs in the field of fighting desertification and alleviating drought effects. The Shoura Council also approved accelerating the transformation of the radio and television and the Saudi Press Agency to two general corporations. These decisions were taken by the council in a session held here today and presided by the council's chairman Sheikh Dr. Salih Ibn Homaid. The decisions were explained in a press statement by Secretary General of the council Dr. Homoud Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Badr. Meanwhile the Shoura Council had held its 34th ordinary session to finalize deliberations of the new draft labor law which is now almost ready for endorsement. The new labor law will be finalized within a month. It would be finalized within a month then it would be submitted to the King either to approve it or to transfer it to the Cabinet, said Homoud Al-Badr, Shoura Council secretary general told The Saudi Gazette. A Shoura member who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Saudi Gazette that there are no major changes. Many issues that were subjects of discussion in the old law have remained the same and have not been changed in the draft. Al Badr said that the council debated four points raised by Minister of Labor Ghazi Al-Gosaibi. The members of the committee concerned, he said, are going to meet and further discuss the minister s remarks that contradict the opinion of the committee on Health, Social and Family Affairs, he added. Following that, he added, a decision will be made regarding the law in order for it to be submitted to the council for voting in a step towards submitting it to the King. Al Gosaibi's remarks were focused mainly on four issues including, an Article 7 change that seeks exclusion of certain workers athletes and trainers. According to Al Gosaibi, this would result in a legislative vacuum and a denial of their right of law protection. He suggested issuing a decree that compels labor minister to add an additional executive list that governs those exceptional categories of workers and guarantees their rights. Al Badr said that the main reason behind the Shoura members desire to exclude this sector of workers is the social and financial effects that might result in from including them under the same article [7] of the law. Some families just can not afford it, he said. The other remarks by Al Gosaibi included a change to reinstate dismissed employees by a resolution of a judicial panel against the employer's will. Al Gosaibi said that this would negatively reflect on both the employee and the employer. The working environment would also be loaded with feuds. He considered the change as an action that works against both the productivity of the worker and the desire of the employer to hire more Saudis and implement Saudization. The fourth remark focuses on the minister's request to retransfer revenues to be collected according to the provisions of the new law such as from penalties on erring employers to a special account for spending on projects that raise the standards of labor and workers in the Kingdom. He said that directing that money to the Human Resources Fund, as is done at the present time, hinders several projects that the labor ministry is considering. Another remark by the minister was about the views made by some concerned international organizations on the stipulations of the law. Al Gosaibi pointed out that these were overlooked by the committee and urged the members to pay more attention to these concerns. In reply to interventions by the Council member's on raising the cost of recruiting expatriates, Al Gosaibi explained that the malfunction which occurred in the labor market was caused by the entry of cheap labor what Saudi workers cannot compete with. He added that correcting this malfunction can only be done by raising the cost of recruitment and narrowing the gap between the cost of hiring Saudis and that of hiring expatriates, in addition to levying new fees. The labor minister also objected to a proposal on disbursing financial aid to the unemployed until they find work, indicating that this will kill all hopes in Saudization. Al Gosaibi expects economic growth to be approximately 6 percent in the current year, which will create new employment opportunities in the private sector. He also demanded Saudization of a number of sectors be within reasonable and realistic limits. Answering a question on the existence of low-standard training centers which affect the labor market negatively, Al Gosaibi indicated that strict control of training houses will be enforced and that more accurate specifications are being developed to ensure that graduates are properly qualified and fit for employment. On fixing the wages of Saudis employed in the private sector, the labor ministre said that there is no logical relation between wages and needs of individuals. He also stressed that it is none of the concern of employers to pay to workers whatever amounts they deem sufficient and that the Ministry does not wish to dictate Saudization, training and fixed wages on businessmen. He added that intermediary and secondary certificates are currently worthless in the job market and that the ministry cannot impose unrealistic wages for their holders. Al Gosaibi also stressed anew that the ministry will press ahead with rationalizing recruitment and cutting the number of expatriates by no less than 100,000 per year. Al Gosaibi praised the retention of the current severance pay, describing it as an acquired right which must be left intact. I appreciate the opinions of those who called for its reduction or abolishment but I would like to say that in light of the poor salaries earned by new entrants to the private labor market today, in addition to the long working hours, abolishing this pay will deal a deadly blow to our attempts at Saudization , he said. |
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