Chairing Monday's Cabinet meeting, King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, said that the Kingdom will not allow anyone to “disturb the atmosphere of Haj, put pilgrim safety at risk or attempt to disunite Muslims.” Minister of Culture and Information Abdul Aziz Khoja told Saudi Press Agency that the Cabinet urged pilgrims to refrain from any activities that might “distract them from their rituals at the holy sites”, citing the Quranic verse: For Haj Are the months well known. If anyone undertakes That duty therein Let there be no obscenity. No wickedness Nor wrangling In the Haj And whatever good Ye do, (be sure) Allah knoweth it. (Al-Baqra, Verse 197) The minister said the Cabinet's weekly meeting also heard reports on preparations for the arrival of pilgrims, various local and international developments, and also noted the awarding to King Abdullah of the Barcelona Meeting Point Prize given in “recognition of his farsighted vision for the future and spirit of initiative manifested in the establishment of King Abdullah Economic City.” The meeting also looked at the scientific and academic achievements of King Saud University. King Abdullah briefed the Cabinet on his talks with Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al- Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and efforts to further strengthen relations between the two countries, as well as other contact and meetings from the previous week, including messages received from the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, as well as a telephone call received from Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Minister Khoja said that the Cabinet authorized the President of King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology to sign with the European Space Agency a draft cooperation agreement on space research for peaceful purposes. The Cabinet also authorized the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior to sign a draft agreement to combat narcotics trafficking between the Kingdom and Qatar, and submit the final copy for the necessary procedures to be conducted.
