Fahd approves appointments to regional assemblies

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia approved on August 5 the appointment of 200 men to 13 regional assemblies across the Kingdom for a new four-year term, part of political reforms introduced in 1993.

King Fahd set up the regional assemblies in 13 provinces in September 1993, one month after he named 60 members of the consultative Shura council-the kingdom's first consultative council in 60 years-as a part of long-promised political reforms in the world's largest oil producing country

Last month the kingdom raised the number of Shura members to 90, increasing representation to include active and retired military officers, senior government officials, business executives and representatives of the Shiite Muslim minority.