January 5, 2006

THE CROWN PRINCE LAUDS SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES' EFFORTS TO SERVE PASSENGERS AND THE AIRLINES' IMPROVED OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE. PRINCE FAISAL BIN SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ TALKS ABOUT HOUSING PROJECT DIRECTIVES. Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation, Inspector General and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saudi Arabian airlines, chaired here a meeting of the board of directors of Saudi Arabian airlines. The meeting was attended by Prince Fahd Bin Abdullah Bin Mohammad al Saud, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General for Civil Aviation, and members of the board of directors. During the meeting, the board of directors approved the draft estimated budget of 2007. At the end of the meeting, the Crown Prince lauded the Saudi Arabian airlines' efforts to serve passengers and the airlines' improved operational performance. The board of directors of the general authority of civil aviation (GACA) has also named Al-Washkan company (SAMA), to obtain the license of the national carrier at Dammam airport. A press statement said Al-Washkan (SAMA), is the third national carrier besides the Saudi Arabian airlines (SAA) and "NASS" company, which has recently obtained the license of the national carrier at Riyadh airport. Eng Abdullah Rahimi, the Chairman of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, said the introduction of two new national carriers will have a positive impact on the Saudi economy. On the other hand, Prince Faisal Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, the Secretary General of Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Charitable Foundation, said the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz to allocate sr 10 billion for implementing projects of 66000 housing units embody the great attention given by the Saudi officials to the citizens. Prince Faisal said, in a press statement, that the announcement of starting the implementation of the first phase of the popular housing project constitutes an important development in the field of social development and tackling the problems of poverty. 'This great project which will be implemented by the state constitutes culmination to the initiatives earlier presented by a number of foundations and individuals for implementing charitable housing projects in the various parts of the Kingdom', he said. Prince Faisal said in line with the directives of Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Charitable Foundation started in 1421 the implementation of a charitable housing project. He noted that the charitable housing project includes setting up of housing complexes in Makkah, Assir, Tabuk, Najran, Hail and Riyadh. The complexes include 700 furnished housing units which are provided with the required public utilities like mosques, schools and health centers. The total cost of the housing complexes will amount to sr 170 million.