DAMMAM/RIYADH: In response to King Abdullah's speech to the Saudi people on Friday and his order to give each government, civil and military employee an extra two months of pay, a number of private companies announced that they are following the King's example. The President of Saudi Aramco, Khaled Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Faleh, said two months of salaries and two months of allowances are to be paid to employees and trainees. He expressed his and the employees' gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for the Royal Orders that brought welfare to the sons of this generous country. SABIC also decided to disburse two months of basic salaries to its employees around the country and recommended boards of directors of its companies around the Kingdom to do the same. “As we thank the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for his initiatives to strengthen prosperity in this country, we thank the board of directors for its constant response to the generous directives that aim to achieve more growth for the country,” SABIC said in a statement. Sulaiman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Rajihi, chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Rajhi Bank, announced that two months of pay will be disbursed to employees “following the generous Royal Decree and to cope with the celebrations of the development and economic orders issued by the Ummah's leader for his sons.” Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdul Aziz, chairman of the Board of Directors of Kingdom Holding Company and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Charitable Foundation, also announced that two months' salary will be paid to the company's employees and employees of his private office. “I call on the private sector to respond to the Royal Orders of King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz,” Prince Alwaleed said in a call to a Saudi TV channel. The Saudi Public Transport Company also announced it is giving two months' salary to its employees.
