RIYADH: King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, issued a number of Royal Decrees Friday for new appointments to senior positions and the creation of a Ministry of Housing to be headed by Shuwaish Al-Duwaihi, current Governor of the General Housing Authority. The Royal Decrees relieve Ibrahim Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Tasan of his duties as President of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Private Affairs and appoint him as adviser to the Royal Court. Al-Tasan is replaced in the post by Ibrahim Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Issa, previously Vice President of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Private Affairs. The post of Vice President of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Private Affairs is now taken up by Abdullah Bin Muhammad Al-Dakheel, formerly Undersecretary for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Private Affairs. Also by Royal Decree, Sheikh Abdul Latif Bin Abdul Rahman Bin Saeed Al-Harithy has been appointed Deputy Minister of Justice.New ministry, new minister The Royal Decree for the creation of a Ministry of Housing, tasked with all housing issues in the Kingdom including those previously assigned to the General Housing Authority, relieves Shuwaish Al-Duwaihi of his post as Governor of the Housing Commission and appoints him Minister of Housing. All issues pertaining to land for housing are now under his jurisdiction. The decree further stated that the use of all land is restricted to the purpose for which it has been designated, and sees the transfer of civil service staff working in housing, vacant posts, financial allocations, property, documents and contracts and everything related to present and future housing projects to the new ministry. Under the decree, a board of directors for the Real Estate Development Fund is to be formed with the Minister of Housing as chairman and with representatives from the ministries of Municipality and Rural Affairs, Finance, and Economy and Planning, and the Saudi Arabia Monetary Agency (SAMA). Three board members connected to the field of housing are to be appointed by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the Minister of Housing. New Minister of Housing Al-Dhuwaihi was born in 1962. He studied Industrial Engineering at King Saud University where he went on to obtain a Master's in Mechanical Engineering in 1993. In 1998 he earned a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management from Cranfield University in the United Kingdom for his thesis on industrial strategy in Saudi Arabia. Al-Dhuwaihi has extensive experience working in the government and private sectors and was appointed to the Shoura Council in 1997, with his four-year membership being twice renewed. He was appointed Governor of the General Housing Authority in 2008.
