More jobs, housing for citizens in 5-year plan

September 16, 2014

Jeddah, Sep 16: The Council of Ministers has prioritized housing, jobs and an increased standard of living for citizens in its 10th Five-Year Development Plan from 2015 to 2020.

Prince Salman
The 24-point plan approved at its meeting on Monday, includes efforts to preserve Islamic values and teachings, promote national unity and consolidate the Kingdom’s identity, said Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja after the Cabinet meeting.

The plan aims to strengthen the Kingdom’s economy and promote its growth, stability and competitiveness. “It also aims to enhance institutional reforms, support civil institutions and raise the efficiency and productivity of state agencies and their employees,” Khoja said.

The new five-year plan will uphold the principles of accountability and transparency and strive for the protection of integrity and fight corruption, the minister added.

The Cabinet, which was chaired by Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, also adopted several measures to crack down on errant Umrah operators.

The Cabinet approved amendments to laws regulating Umrah trips from outside the Kingdom. The Interior Ministry would use Article 60 of the country's residency law to punish Umrah companies involved in trading visas, and bringing people to the country for other purposes.

“The Ministries of Interior and Haj shall prevent Umrah companies from accessing their automated system if they fail to ensure the return of their pilgrims from the Kingdom to their respective countries,” Khoja said while explaining the new regulations.

The Cabinet authorized the minister of housing to discuss with his Egyptian counterpart a housing cooperation agreement. It banned non-Saudis from time-sharing activities or marketing the scheme in Makkah and Madinah. “Non-Saudis are also banned from the acquisition of any rights under time-sharing for tourist real estate units in Makkah and Madinah except through inheritance,” Khoja said.

The Cabinet congratulated Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for being awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University. The Cabinet was briefed on the telephone conversation between King Abdullah and US President Barack Obama.

Referring to last week›s Jeddah meeting to fight Islamic State militants, the Cabinet reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to stand against the threats posed by terrorism in all its forms.

Khoja said the Cabinet welcomed the formation of the new Iraqi government and the confidence in it by the Iraqi parliament. It hoped that this would contribute to the return of security and stability in Iraq and the consolidation of national unity and cohesion among its people.

On the occasion of the 27th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Saudi Arabia renewed its call on the international community to protect the rights of the Palestinian people for self-determination and an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

The Kingdom expressed deep regret at the world not taking a decisive and courageous stand to end the suffering of the Syrian people. The Kingdom also renounced terrorism and extremism and rejected and condemned the gross violations of human rights perpetrated by terrorist organizations.

In this context, the Cabinet thanked the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for praising the Kingdom’s humanitarian assistance to refugees in various countries.

The Cabinet praised security and customs officers for their efforts in preventing attempts to smuggle drugs worth SR2 billion into the Kingdom and arresting 1,197 smugglers and drug traffickers over the past six months.

The Cabinet welcomed the Human Development Report 2014 issued by the United Nations Development Program, which raised the Kingdom’s rank from 57 to 34 in human development programs.

The Cabinet postponed the transfer of jurisdiction of the investigation and prosecution on customs issues from the Customs Department to the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution for a period of four years, Khoja said.

The Cabinet appointed Tariq bin Ziyad Al-Sudairi a member of the board of directors of the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) representing the licensed brokerage companies; Sami bin Abdullah Al-Saleh as ambassador at the Foreign Ministry; Prince Saud bin Fahd bin Abdullah, deputy governor for security affairs in Riyadh; Saad bin Abdullah Al-Mufreh financial advisor at the Ministry of Health; Abdullah bin Sulaiman Al-Maiman director general of financial affairs at the Ministry of Defense; Hashim bin Abdullah Shatta minister plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Muhanna administrative advisor at the Ministry of National Guard; Ibrahim bin Abdulkarim Al-Khatib adviser at Riyadh governorate; and Yusuf bin Abdullah Al-Saadi sector head at the Finance Ministry.

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News Network
May 7,2024

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The Israeli military says it has taken full control of the Rafah crossing, which borders Egypt.

Israeli tanks took over the crossing after advancing during the night following heavy bombardment of residential areas.

The military said the crossing is now disconnected from the Salah a-Din road in eastern Rafah, which was seized before.

Tel Aviv said it would continue the operation in Rafah even after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas said it had agreed to a proposal on ceasefire in Gaza put forward by Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

Earlier, Israeli military aircraft heavily bombed Rafah accompanied with ground advances shortly after Hamas said it had accepted the ceasefire proposal.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa and Egyptian media said Israeli military vehicles advanced towards the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, as well as the Karem Shalom crossing with the Israeli-occupied territories.

A Palestinian security official and an Egyptian authority have told the Associated Press news agency that Israeli tanks have entered Rafah, reaching as close as 200 meters from Rafah’s border crossing with neighboring Egypt.

The Israeli military has said it was conducting “targeted strikes” against Hamas in eastern Rafah.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has also said "Israel is continuing the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas" in order to advance the release of captives and what it called "the other objectives of the war."

In the meantime, it described the proposal on ceasefire as "far from Israel's essential demands," but added that it would send negotiators for talks "to exhaust the potential for arriving at an agreement."

The military strikes on Rafah came ahead of talks in Egypt on Tuesday aimed at sealing a truce proposal accepted by Hamas, which was put forward by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. 

According to a copy of the proposal, there will be three phases to ending Israel’s onslaught against Gaza.

The first phase calls for a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Netzarim corridor and the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes. The second phase involves an announcement of a permanent cessation of military operations. In the last phase, there would be a complete end to the blockade of the Gaza Strip. 

In return, Israel would be required to release an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners, withdraw its troops from certain regions of the Gaza Strip, and allow Palestinians to travel from the south of the coastal sliver to the north.

About 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah, once designated a “safe zone” by the Israeli military. Palestinians are now struggling to evacuate the city, after the Israeli military dropped leaflets ordering them to leave as a large-scale assault on the city is planned.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said that a ground invasion of Rafah would be “intolerable” and called on Israel and Hamas “to go an extra mile” to reach a truce deal.

“This is an opportunity that cannot be missed, and a ground invasion in Rafah would be intolerable because of its devastating humanitarian consequences, and because of its destabilizing impact in the region,” Guterres told reporters on Monday ahead of a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in New York.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has also warned that Israel is “jeopardizing the deal by bombing Rafah.”

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News Network
May 17,2024

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The United Arab Emirates has announced a 10-year Blue residency visa for individuals who have made exceptional efforts and contributions to protecting the environment.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who chaired the Cabinet meeting at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi formally approved this. 

He said the move comes in line with implementing the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who had announced 2024 as the Year of Sustainability.

The Blue visa will be granted to individuals championing sustainability and the use of modern technologies in promoting the circular economy, and other relevant fields.

Sheikh Mohammed said the sustainability of our economy has become linked to the sustainability of our environment, and our national directions in this area are clear and consistent.

He also approved the National Youth Agenda, among several initiatives, instructing the Minister of Youth to prioritise five key areas: empowering youth economically, developing their scientific skills, reinforcing their national identity, enhancing their community contributions, and activating their role in representing their country on the international stage.

CEO of Artificial Intelligence

The Cabinet has approved the introduction of the post of CEO of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in all major federal entities, in line with the UAE's strategy to strengthen its position in AI.

“Today, we approved the introduction of the CEO of Artificial Intelligence role in all major federal entities, as part of the UAE’s strategy to solidify its position in the field of artificial intelligence,” the Vice President said.

The initiative aims to facilitate the integration of AI tools within these institutions, further advancing the transition toward a new era driven by cutting-edge technologies across federal entities.

University rankings

The Cabinet also endorsed a new framework for categorising higher education institutions across the nation. The forthcoming national rankings will assess over 70 higher education establishments based on the quality of their education, the employability of their graduates, the strength of their scientific research, and their collaborations with international scientific institutions.

The unveiling of these university rankings marks a significant stride in elevating the calibre of our higher education system and fostering transparency. It empowers families to make informed decisions, selecting the most suitable and exemplary educational pathways for their children,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

“During the meeting, we were updated on recent advancements in our national space sector, with our national cadres now comprising 38 per cent of personnel engaged in global space projects. Additionally, expenditure on space research has seen a 14 per cent increase."

"Our commitment remains steadfast in guiding our youth towards promising and pioneering sectors while safeguarding our environment and adopting leading international technologies within our government. Concurrently, we are dedicated to enhancing our higher education systems, ensuring a brighter future for our youth,” Sheikh Mohammed added.

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News Network
May 17,2024

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Hamas says the Israeli regime’s bombing of the Gaza Strip, which is enduring a genocidal Israeli war, has killed 70 percent of the Zionist captives, who have been held by the Palestinian resistance movement since an October operation.

Khalil al-Hayya, deputy chief of Hamas’ Political Bureau, announced the information in an interview with Lebanon’s al-Manar television network on Thursday.

“The Zionist enemy wants to recover the remaining captives by force, killing them by bombing,” he said.

Around 250 people were taken captive on October 7 last year during Al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation by Gaza’s resistance groups.

At least 35,272 Palestinians have died in an Israeli war of genocide that began following the operation.

Hamas released 105 of the captives during a week-long truce in late November.

Hamas recently agreed to another truce proposal enabling cessation of the Israeli aggression and release of the rest of the captives. The Israeli regime, however, rejected the proposal.

The Hamas’ official said, “The latest proposal presented to us comes very close to our demands, but the enemy has not respected the proposal or the mediators.”

Al-Hayya reiterated the movement’s demands, saying any potential truce agreement had to mandate a complete and comprehensive cessation of the Israeli aggression, withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza, and then a captive exchange deal.

‘Victory is our ally’

The Hamas’ official pointed to the Israeli regime’s failure to realize its war goals, including defeating the resistance.

“After eight months of aggression, the enemy has failed to eradicate the resistance in Gaza despite all the actions of the occupation,” he said.

“The resistance has rebuilt itself and can adapt its capabilities to face the occupation,” the official said, asserting, “The resistance is capable of enduring for many months and will continue to defend its people as long as the battle is ongoing.”

“The resistance has the ability to continue because it is right, and victory is our ally, while the enemy will face defeat.”

Thanking regional resistance

Elsewhere in his remarks, al-Hayya expressed gratitude towards the regional resistance groups for the pro-Palestinian operations that they have been carrying out against Israeli targets and those associated with the occupying regime.

“The fronts in Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq support Gaza and link the cessation of [their] operations to the end of aggression on Gaza,” he said.

“When we meet with the resistance forces in the region, we affirm that the battle is one.”

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