His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa yesterday ordered 1,000 houses to be distributed to the needy.

The Premier gave his directives as he chaired a work meeting at his court.

The units will be handed over on completion of electrical and water infrastructure work.

Officials were also instructed to integrate unemployed university graduates in the labour market and ensure them jobs in the public and private sectors.

They were told to reduce the rate of unemployment among graduates 'to the lowest level'.

Plans aimed at improving the labour market environment, ensuring its smoothness and promoting integration of the national workforce were also reviewed.

'The labour market should serve Bahrainis, whether employers or employees,' he said.

The Premier instructed officials to closely monitor prices of food items and construction materials.

'Prices of food products and construction materials should not spiral out of the stability limit,' he said.

The session discussed a study into the National Financial and Administrative Audit Court Report for 2009 concerning certain ministries and government departments.

It also reviewed procedures to redirect government subsidies to target needy categories.-TradeArabia News Service