Saudi Arabia: a commission will supervise charity donations
Saudi Arabia, Politics, 3/1/2004

Saudi Arabia announced on Saturday that it will establish a new charity "donation" commission to supervise all works of relief and aid dispatched abroad, in an attempt to put an end to the American accusations that part of these donations go to the hands of "terrorists."

In a statement, the Saudi royal court said that King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz issued a decision approving the foundation of a charity commission called the "Saudi people's commission for relief and charity works abroad." The Saudi news agency explained that the order of King Fahd states "the commission to be founded and run by elite citizens working in the area of charity known for their expertise and good reputation."

King Fahd assigned the new mission "to carry out definitely all works of charity and relief abroad." The agency said that the government decided to draw clear systematic rules "organizing the Saudi charity works abroad with the aim to "purify the charity work abroad from any distortion," noting that the founding of the commission "comes as a desire to enable the generous people of Saudi Arabia from continuing to give the helping hand to their Muslim brothers everywhere."

The new decision constitutes the last step in the series of the moves of the Saudi government that aim at showing the US that it cut off supply resources likely to be for extremists. It also comes after a series of measures taken in 2003 to control the donations inside Saudi Arabia, including banning of donations funds inside the mosques and other public places.

Previous Stories:
  Riyadh inspects charity funding: We delivered Washington an investigation on Princess Haifa's donations   (11/26/2002)
  Riyadh: No Saudis in Pakistan al-Qaida detainees; Charity societies continue activities   (9/19/2002)
  Saudi Arabia: A commission to monitor charity societies   (9/13/2002)
  Saudi Arabia will take all necessary measures for illegal use of charity aids   (2/6/2002)

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