This came during the weekly meeting of the Saudi cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, the kingdom's de facto ruler.

"The cabinet reviewed reports about the situation in Iraq, and the lack of security and stability which led to anarchy, looting and a shortage of water, food and medicine," a statement carried by the SPA agency said.

"The crown prince expressed the deep concern of the kingdom's government and people over the insecurity in Iraqi cities which could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe and the loss of innocent life and property," the statement added.

The cabinet noted the looting of Iraqi historical sites and called for restoring "law and stability in Iraq as soon as possible, and for allowing the Iraqi people to choose the way for running their own affairs."

The cabinet also said Riyadh has prepared a complete programme of humanitarian aid to Iraq that will commence after coordination with international authorities.

Saudi Arabia on Monday called for an urgent meeting of the foreign ministers of countries neighbouring Iraq to discuss the post-Saddam era. The meeting will be held Friday in Riyadh.

SPACE.WIRE