(Crealis) -- Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, who was the first among the newly appointed Saudi Arabian ministers to assume office, urged top officials at his ministry to work as one team to provide the best possible health services and win the satisfaction of patients, reported Arab News.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah is a graduate of Alberta University in Canada and started his career as an assistant lecturer at the King Saud University in Riyadh. He has also been awarded the King Abdul Aziz Medal of the First Order.

"This is a great responsibility," Al-Rabeeah told undersecretaries, regional health directors and hospital managers during a meeting at the ministry in Riyadh, in the presence of former Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie, as reported Arab News.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah reshuffled his Cabinet on Saturday, changing the ministers of health, education, justice and culture and information, and appointing a woman -- for the first time -- as deputy minister.

According to Arab News, Al-Rabeeah said he would continue to lead surgical operations for separating conjoined twins. "I will find time to participate in the separation surgery which has benefited people from all parts of the world who sought assistance from Saudi Arabia," is reported as saying.

Al-Rabeeah performed the first conjoined twin separation surgery on Dec. 31, 1990, at Riyadh's King Faisal Specialist Hospital. The operation, which was successful, was performed on two Saudi girls joined at the stomach. Since then 13 sets of conjoined twins have been successfully separated in the Kingdom under his supervision.

The newly appointed Justice Minister Mohammed Al-Eissa said he would give priority to manpower development and training of qualified judicial officials.

"There is a reason for every shortcoming and our mission is to address it. There is no doubt that we are badly in need of training and qualification and learn from the expertise and experiences of others," Arab News quoted Mohammed Al-Eissa as saying.

He said he would try to develop the ministry's activities by making use of modern management expertise. He disclosed plans to establish a center for studies and training and another for judicial information.

"We implement the new judicial system, realizing the ambitions of the Saudi leadership," he added.

Abdul Aziz Khoja, who has taken over the portfolio of minister of culture and information from Iyad Madani, said his ministry would work on the basis of the Kingdom's firm principles. "Achieving reasonable media openness is my priority," he said in comments published in the press.

According to Arab News, Khoja, a seasoned diplomat who served as Saudi ambassador to Turkey, Russia, Morocco and Lebanon, requested senior Saudi media persons to give their opinions on how to develop the Kingdom's public media including radio and television. He has previously worked at the ministry as undersecretary for media affairs.

A chemistry professor from Makkah, he has many plans to strengthen the ministry, in tune with the political, educational and cultural reforms introduced by King Abdullah, and making use of the vast experience he gained from foreign countries as ambassador, Arab News reported.

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