The Minister of Foreign Affairs has been given the authority to extend the service of serving ambassadors over the age of 65 following a nod from the Shoura Council, Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday. The Council, which held its 37th session via video conferencing under the chairmanship of Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Bin Muhammad Al-Asheikh, approved a regulation granting special powers to the minister. The regulation, which is stipulated in Article 15 of the Civil Retirement, is in line with the royal decree and has a caveat that the extension of the service can be considered if the ambassador does not exceed the age of 70 years. The Council also approved additional penalties for violation of the rule of Article Five of the "Regulation for Real Estate Ownership and Investment by Non-Saudis." The Council's approval included adding two new paragraphs Nos. 3 and 4 to paragraph 5 of the "Regulation for Real Estate Ownership and Investment by Non-Saudis". The two added paragraphs, 3 and 4, stipulate that the ban mentioned in paragraph 1 of this article does not apply to some categories that gain the status allowing them to benefit from their properties, according to specific text mentioned in the regulations. The added paragraphs allow non-Saudis to rent the real estate to others, within the boundaries of the cities of Makkah and Madinah, in line with controls specified by the bylaw. The Shoura Council approved another decision on the amendments made by the government to the name of the draft law on combating financial fraud and breach of trust. — SG
