JEDDAH — Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman has directed all relevant authorities to operate with utmost efficiency and excellence in implementing security, preventive, and organizational plans to serve the Hajj pilgrims in Makkah, Madinah, the holy sites, and at the Kingdom's entry points. Chairing the Cabinet session in Jeddah on Tuesday, the Crown Prince specially highlighted the arrangements made to facilitate pilgrim arrivals under the Makkah Route Initiative. The Crown Prince, on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, welcomed pilgrims arriving in the Kingdom from around the world to perform Hajj rituals this year. He expressed gratitude to God Almighty for bestowing Saudi Arabia the honor of serving the Two Holy Mosques, caring for their visitors, and ensuring their safety and comfort. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said that the Cabinet reviewed the significant progress in the Kingdom's economic performance indicators, increased investment levels, greater private sector participation in development, and integrated efforts among government sectors to maximize national resource utilization. The Cabinet confirmed that the record performance of non-oil exports in 2024 and their continued growth reflect the Kingdom's accelerated efforts to diversify income and capitalize on global opportunities to achieve new gains in line with Vision 2030 goals. The Cabinet praised the ongoing significant improvements in digital services across vital sectors, which contributed to the Kingdom ranking first among Middle East and North African countries for the third consecutive year in the 2024 Government Electronic and Mobile Services Maturity Index, issued by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). The Cabinet also regarded the Kingdom's remarkable leap of 92 positions in the 2024 Open Data Inventory report, issued by the Open Data Watch, as a reflection of its commitment to enhancing the quality of statistical indicators, facilitating access to information, and ensuring reliability and transparency. The minister stated that the Cabinet also discussed recent regional and international developments, along with the Kingdom's ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions. He added that the Kingdom continues to work closely with friendly nations to address crises, reduce tensions, and promote respect for international law in pursuit of a more stable and prosperous world. The Cabinet reiterated the Kingdom's continued efforts to mobilize international support to end violence, protect civilians, and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to affected areas in Palestine. It also reaffirmed the Kingdom's commitment to advancing the two-state solution as the only path to achieving lasting peace and security. The Cabinet strongly condemned the Israeli attacks on Syria's sovereignty and security, warning that the continuation of such violations and extremist policies exacerbates the risk of regional violence and instability. The Cabinet called for an immediate end to the war in Sudan and urged efforts to spare the country further suffering and destruction. It emphasized that resolving the crisis requires a Sudanese-led political solution that respects the country's sovereignty and unity and is supported by its national institutions. The Cabinet approved the National Strategy Governance Model. It granted the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing the authority to sell housing units—in the ministry's projects—to non-beneficiaries of housing support, in accordance with regulations established by the ministry in conjunction with relevant authorities. The Cabinet endorsed a declaration of intent between the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and the French Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty for cooperation in critical minerals. The Council authorized the minister of industry and mineral resources or his deputy to discuss and sign with the US side a draft memorandum of cooperation in the field of mining and mineral resources between the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and the US Department of Energy. It authorized the minister of tourism or his deputy to discuss and sign with the Belizean side a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of tourism between the Saudi Ministry of Tourism and the Belizean Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations. The Cabinet approved an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Djibouti on the promotion and reciprocal protection of investments, and another MoU between the Saudi Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority and Enterprise Estonia in the development of the small and medium enterprises sector and entrepreneurship. The Council approved a MoU between the Saudi Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority and the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency for cooperation in tax administration. It authorized the minister of environment, water and agriculture and chairman of the board of directors of the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) or his deputy to discuss and sign with the Uzbek side a draft MoU between the Saudi NCVC and the Uzbek Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change for cooperation in vegetation development and combating desertification. The Cabinet approved the guiding model of a MoU for cooperation in the field of roads between the Saudi Roads General Authority and its counterpart agencies in other countries, and authorizing the minister of transport and logistic services and chairman of the board of directors of the Roads General Authority or his deputy to discuss and sign with counterpart agencies in other countries draft MoU for cooperation in the field of roads, based on the guiding model. The Council also approved the guiding model of a MoU for cooperation in combating human trafficking crimes between the Saudi Human Rights Commission and its counterpart agencies in other countries, and authorizing the president of the Human Rights Commission or her deputy to discuss and sign with counterpart agencies of the commission in other countries draft MoU for cooperation in combating human trafficking crimes, based on the guiding model.
