The Council of Ministers stressed here Monday the Kingdom's due attention to the outcome of the racism conference held earlier this month in Geneva. Saudi Arabia makes all efforts to curb racial practices since it derives its rules from the Islamic Shariah, which negates prejudices based on color, nationality or race, the Cabinet said. King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, briefed the Cabinet on the outcome of his meetings, consultations and talks with visiting dignitaries. Dr. Abdul Aziz Mohieddin Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information, said in a statement to SPA that the King's talks with Bangaldesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina focused on the spheres of cooperation between the two countries and ways of boosting bilateral ties. The Cabinet endorsed the memorandum signed in Khartoum by the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources with Sudan's Minister of Energy and Mining. The Cabinet also approved the request made by Manafe' Company to grant it a concession for investment and extraction of copper, zinc, gold and silver in Atlantis Site 2 located in the middle of the Red Sea in accordance with the signed agreement. The Cabinet also reviewed the King's visit to the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) Friday and his inauguration of projects for the second construction phase of the City. The Cabinet expressed its appreciation of the King's efforts and his continual follow up of different developmental and industrial activities in the Kingdom as manifested in his current visit to the Eastern Province to personally enquire about the citizens' welfare and inaugurate several gigantic projects, including the Royal Commission projects in Jubail and Yanbu, SABIC, Marafeq Company and the private sector projects. The projects worth more than SR54 billion include: The largest dual project in the world carried out by Marafeq Company for Electricity and Water in Jubail and Yanbu with total investments of SR12.6 billion. The plant will produce 2,750 megawatts of electricity and 8,000 cubic meters of desalinated water daily. Royal Commission projects include two industrial and housing areas besides expansion of the King Fahad Industrial Seaport as well as housing and general building projects worth SR4.5 billion. SABIC projects include the expansion of Asharqiya Petrochemicals (Sharq) with total investments of SR18 billion. Expansion of the Saudi European Petrochemicals Company (Ibn Zahr), which produces polypropylene 3 with investments, costs SR4.8 billion. PRIVATE SECTOR PROJECTS: Inauguration of the expansion of the International Saudi Company for Petrochemicals (SEPCHEM) acetyl complex with investments of SR7.5 billion. The company produces carbon monoxide, acetic acid, acetic anhydride, mono-phenyl with an annual production capacity of 1.13 million tons yearly. Inauguration of Al-Waha Company for Petrochemicals worth SR4.130 billion. It produces propylene and polypropylene with an annual production capacity of 910,000 tons. Inauguration of Jubail Company for Energy Services (JESCO) worth SR2.5 billion. It produces unwelded pipes with an annual production capacity of 400,000 metric tons.
