Headlines
Saudi king decrees equality, diversificaton of economy
Riyadh, March 11
Saudi King Salman bin
Abdulaziz Al Saud decreed that the discrimination between different
sections of the society be removed and the economy diversified to be
less dependent of oil revenues, media reported Tuesday.
The Saudi
king referred to the decree in an address the nation and said that he
had instructed the interior minister to call the princes of districts to
meet citizens in order to eliminate the causes of discrimination,
according to a Xinhua report, which cited Saudi media.
King Salman emphasised that all citizens had equal rights and duties.
High
oil prices had contributed to the booming Saudi Arabian economy. The
king called for a strong economy, based on diverse income resources and
said that the effects of low oil prices on development would be
addressed.
He clarified that modernisation would continue in
accordance with religious and social values and underlined the
importance of safeguarding the country's security.
The king added
that there were many plots against the nation and hence, citizens and
residents must be cognizant of the fact that security was everyone's
responsibility.
King Salman became ruler of Saudi Arabia in January following the death of his brother Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.