Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has appointed Interior Minister Prince Naif second deputy premier, the Saudi Press Agency reported [Mar 27].
Prince Naif has been involved in landmark women empowerment decisions in the Kingdom, including a decision to issue women identity cards in 2001, freeing them from the need to be listed in their husbands� and guardians� identity cards.
Prince Naif has also been at the forefront of international relations with numerous countries and has played a key role in fostering excellent neighborly relations. The latest of his achievements in this regard is the signing of the demarcation of borders with Qatari Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in December 2008.
On Monday, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in political science by the Lebanese University. The degree was conferred on the prince in recognition of his contributions to politics and support for Lebanon.
During the function, attended by Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and a number of Arab ministers, Prince Naif spoke about the Saudi foreign policy. �Saudi Arabia�s foreign policy aims to build cooperation and understanding with other countries and peoples irrespective of their creed, color and language,� he said.
On the occasion, Prince Naif also spelled out the Kingdom�s eagerness to see peace everywhere. �We look forward to a world replete with peace and harmony and ruled by values, goodness and love,� he said.
Since 2001, Prince Naif has been at the helm of combating terrorism and extremist ideologies in the Kingdom. In a recent address at the Arab Interior Ministers� meeting in Beirut, Prince Naif called on Arab media organizations to take a role in educating citizens of Arab states about the danger posed by deviant ideologies to prevent them from joining terrorist groups.
�We in Saudi Arabia are more concerned with this issue and we don�t allow our youth to follow such ideologies,� he said. The prince also expressed happiness over the successful efforts of Saudi security forces in defeating terrorism.
Prince Naif is chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee. The annual pilgrimage has in recent years seen breath-taking leaps in terms of services to pilgrims, organization, safety and infrastructure.
In appreciation of his efforts to make this year�s Haj safe and successful, King Abdullah sent Prince Naif a cable shortly after the Haj thanking him for his work. �We thank you and all those who participated in this noble task. We express our immense satisfaction and pride at the coordinated efforts of all departments which enabled pilgrims to perform Haj with utmost peace and safety,� the king said.
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