Shoura Council Speaker Abdullah Al-Asheikh.

:: During its 49th ordinary session, the Shoura Council called on the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta to open independent sections for women.

This ordinary session was held on Monday under the chairmanship of the president of the council, Abdullah Al-Asheikh.

It also called for hiring specialized women to issue fatwas, while providing the necessary human and material requirements to do so.

The council called on the presidency to take the necessary measures to complete the appointment of the muftis in the rest of the Kingdom and to adopt the necessary funds for the development of the library of the presidency.

During the session, the council called on the General Authority for Ports to transfer the advisory councils of the ports to boards of directors at each port and with all given administrative powers.

In its resolution, the council called on the General Authority for Ports, in coordination with the relevant authorities, to include in next reports its efforts to reduce the negative impacts on the marine coastal environment.

In another resolution, the Shoura Council called on the Agricultural Development Fund (ADF) to direct its support to make use of the ADF’s initiatives in developing the agricultural sector in the Kingdom and to develop an advanced performance strategy.

The council discussed the report of the Hajj, Housing and Services Committee on the annual report of the Real Estate Development Fund for the fiscal year 1436/1437 AH.

In its recommendations, the committee called on the Real Estate Development Fund to accelerate the implementation of the royal order, which includes the development of the fund’s system to become a financing institution capable of providing financial instruments and innovative solutions.

The committee called for providing support and assistance to the Real Estate Development Fund to collect on its overdue loans.

One of the council’s members called on the fund to apply the decision of the Council of Ministers, which exempted applicants before 23/7/1432 AH of the provisions of the regulation of housing subsidy.

She also demanded that soldiers stationed in the southern borders be exempted from repaying loans to the Real Estate Development Fund.