The Shoura Council is expected to grill Abdullah Al-Hussayyen, Minister of Water and Electricity, on the country's contentious and allegedly delayed national water strategy on Sunday, Dec. 18. Al-Hussayyen will also face wide-ranging questions from members of the Housing, Water, Public Services and Utilities Committee on dams, desalination and the decision to stop wheat farming in the country to save water resources, according to a source at the Council. The source added that some Shoura Council members want the ministry to build dams in several regions of the Kingdom to collect water for agriculture and irrigation. There are also calls for the ministry to build desalination plants to produce drinking water. The source added that the invitation to appear for questioning came from Shoura Council members who are not serving on the Housing, Water, Public Services and Utilities Committee. In addition, also at its Sunday session, the Shoura Council will hear the views of the Education Affairs and Scientific Research Committee on the annual report of the Ministry of Higher Education for the fiscal year 1430/1431H (2009/2010). The Council will also discuss a report of the Housing, Water, Public Services and Utilities Committee on the draft memorandum of understanding for integration and exchange of information on urban planning between the Kingdom's Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Morocco's Ministry of Housing, Construction and Development. The Council is also expected to discuss the report of the Financial Affairs Committee on the draft agreement between the Kingdom and Romania on income tax evasion and preventing dual taxation. __
