His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday directed the government to take immediate steps to curb the soaring prices of basic commodities and ensure that all food items are abundant in the local market.

Chairing part of a Cabinet meeting, the King said that bringing the surging prices under control is especially important with the coming of the holy fasting month of Ramadan and later on.

His Majesty said part of the government's responsibility is to put food on the tables of citizens, adding that he was expecting government measures to curb prices to pay off within two to three days.

King Abdullah commended efforts the government has taken in the past few days in that direction, which resulted in the drop of prices of certain essential items.

At Tuesday's Cabinet session, the King instructed the government to do more in this regard.

The King also instructed the government to set a short-term strategy, ending this year, and a long-term one for the coming years to ensure that prices remain at reasonable levels, improve living conditions and ensure that citizens realize that they will have no surprises regarding prices in the future.

At the meeting, the King stressed that the country is going ahead with its modernization process and socio-economic and political reform. Nothing has changed in this regard, His Majesty told the ministers.

“Since the first day of having the honour of shouldering my responsibilities, my main concern was serving my people and improving their economic conditions. My policy has not changed over these past eight years. It is your responsibility to work with me towards that end,” King Abdullah said.

At a different level, King Abdullah urged the government to intensify their efforts in the coming weeks to encourage people to take part in the November 20 parliamentary elections, reaffirming his confidence in the government's ability to conduct fair and free elections.