3 June 2004 – The Department of Foreign Affairs has just received a letter from the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, extending the condolences of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Philippines for the deaths of three Overseas Filipino Workers resulting from a terrorist attack in Al-Khobar this weekend.

H.E. Mohammed Ameen Wali, Ambassador-designate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Republic of the Philippines issued a press statement wherein he conveyed the Kngdom’s “deepest regrets and condolences” to the families of the slain OFWs as well as to the country in general.

He says that the Government of the Kingdom is “exerting its maximum efforts” to provide the over one million Filipinos working is Saudi Arabia with “all the required facilities to ensure a most comfortable stay in their second home.”
 
The Ambassador also quoted The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud as having directed Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud to extend his “sincere condolences” to the families of the victims of those killed in “this heinous act.”

“We are extremely grateful to the Saudi Arabian Government for having acted quickly and decisively against the terrorists who killed 22 people, including three of our own Filipinos,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Domingo Albert said. “Without their action, we might have been mourning the loss of even more.”
 
“We also appreciate the gesture made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to make the stay of our Filipinos working there more comfortable,” the Secretary said. “We look forward to working with the Saudi Arabian Government in seeing to the welfare of our OFWs.” – END