By Khidir Al-Khayrat

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JAZAN — Sami Bin Mohammed Ali Al-Numi, who lost his wife and six children in a road accident in Sabya last Tuesday, profusely thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for his generous gift of a house and a car to him, saying this showed the monarch firmly stood by his people in all circumstances.

Al-Numi said acting Emir of Jazan Prince Mohammed Bin Abdul Aziz called him on the telephone to tell him about the royal gift. The prince had come to his house to offer condolences after the deadly accident.

"The King is close to every citizen. He is keen to look after the citizens wherever they may be," he said.

Al-Numi, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the Transport Ministry and said he asked the undersecretary of the ministry who came to offer condolences to accompany him to the road where the accident took place but he apologized saying he had come only to offer condolences and not to inspect roads.

He was also not happy with Minister of Education Ahmed Al-Issa who turned down his request to give jobs to two of his daughters, who are university graduates.

"The minister asked me on telephone what he could do for me and how he could help me. I told him that one of my daughters graduated from the university about seven years ago and was without a job while another graduated recently. I asked him to give jobs to them but the minister said he had no jobs for my daughters," Al-Numi said.

He, however, said the minister told him that they might consider giving a job to his wife.

"I thanked the minister for his initiative and the telephone conversation ended there," he added.

The residents of Mashlaha, the village in Sabya governorate where the accident happened, asked the Transport Ministry to repair the road, which is endangering lives.

Meanwhile, the members of Al-Numi tribe collected SR47,000 to help Sami to face his current situation.

Ahmed Al-Qunfudhi, director of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development's office in Jazan, said they would soon find a house for Al-Numi as per the King's order.

"We will also pay him social security money this week so that he will be able to pay for his needs," he said.

In addition to his own family, Al-Numi supports his uncle and wife who are both above 100 years of age and are blind. They live with him in the same house.