Cabinet reviews Haj preparations

RIYADH. October 11. KAZINFORM The Council of Ministers chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on Monday reviewed the preparations made by various government departments for this year's Haj, which is expected to start on Nov. 4.

"The council praised the efforts of the Haj Ministry and other departments to improve the services being extended to pilgrims," said Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja.

"Saudi Arabia is honored to provide the best possible services to the guests of God," a Cabinet statement said. More than 2.5 million faithful are expected to perform Haj this year.

According to ARAB NEWS, King Abdullah earlier briefed the ministers on the outcome of his talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Riyadh and the content of a message he received from Sudan President Omar Al-Bashir.

During the meeting, Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali Al-Naimi spoke about the signing of an agreement between Saudi Aramco and Dow Chemical to establish the Sadara Petrochemical complex in Jubail at a cost of $20 billion. He said the new project would create a large number of jobs for Saudis.

Al-Naimi said Sadara would strengthen Saudi Arabia's position in the world's petrochemical industry. "The participation of a major international company in the project reflects the Kingdom's ability to attract foreign investment," he added.

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