JEDDAH — The Council of Ministers on Tuesday reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's position of resolving conflicts through diplomatic means. Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman chaired the Cabinet session in Jeddah. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of State for Shoura Council Affairs and Acting Minister of Media Dr. Essam bin Saad bin Saeed said that the Cabinet reviewed the latest developments in the region and the world. The council reiterated the Kingdom's positions, as expressed by the Crown Prince, during his communications with leaders of friendly countries. The Council pledged its continued support for international efforts aimed at achieving regional and global security and peace, addressing crises, easing tensions, and activating dialogue through diplomatic means as an effective means of settling disputes and resolving conflicts. The Cabinet emphasized the Kingdom's statement of solidarity with the State of Qatar and its categorical rejection of any infringement on its sovereignty or threat to its security and stability. At the outset of the session, the Cabinet expressed gratitude to God Almighty for the Kingdom's honor of serving His Holy House and the Mosque of His Messenger, and for His grace in enabling the Kingdom to achieve continuous success during the last Hajj season through performance of Hajj rituals in ease and comfort by more than 1.6 million pilgrims, and devoting all the Kingdom's capabilities and energies to this end, under the constant directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. The Cabinet commended the efforts of the Supreme Hajj Committee and all those working within the Hajj Service System in implementing the security, preventive, organizational, and health plans with utmost skill and competence. This has made the Kingdom a global model in crowd management and providing the highest quality services to visitors to the Two Holy Mosques and the holy sites. The Council followed up on the efforts of the relevant authorities in meeting the needs of pilgrims from Iran and securing hundreds of air and land trips for their safe return to their homeland, following the difficult circumstances their country had been experiencing. The Council emphasized that serving and caring for the Guests of God is the Kingdom's one of the most important goals and greatest concerns. Following this, the Crown Prince briefed the Council on the contents of the letters received by King Salman from President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro Moros, President of Vietnam Luong Cong, and President of Angola João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço. These letters pertained to relations between the Kingdom and their respective countries and ways to promote and strengthen them in various fields. Dr. Essam said that the Cabinet affirmed the role of the international community in ending the disastrous repercussions of the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, protecting innocent civilians, and creating a new reality in which Palestine enjoys peace in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions. The Council expressed Saudi Arabia's welcoming of the signing of the peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Cabinet hoped that it will fulfill the aspirations of the peoples of both countries for development and prosperity, and will benefit regional and international security and stability. The Cabinet considered the inauguration of the Global Water Organization's activities at its headquarters in Riyadh to be an affirmation of the Kingdom's commitment to promoting international initiatives and its keenness to consolidate mutual cooperation between countries, including supporting joint coordination to address the growing challenges associated with this essential element of life. The Council highlighted the election of Saudi Arabia as vice president of the Executive Council of the World Health Organization and its selection as a member of the UN High-Level Group for Partnership, Coordination, and Capacity-Building in Statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Council also noted the inclusion of the Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Green List. The minister stated that the Cabinet welcomed the final statement issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff regarding the 2025 Article IV Consultations with the Kingdom. The statement praised the Saudi economy's resilience in the face of global economic challenges, with the expansion of non-oil sector activities, the containment of inflation, and the unemployment rate reaching its lowest levels in history, all in line with the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. The Cabinet also discussed the results of the seventh edition of the King Abdulaziz Quality Award, praising the winning establishments' commitment to adopting the principles of institutional excellence and raising levels of performance quality, which contributes to enhancing the quality of outputs and achieving national targets. The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Interior or his representative to sign a draft cooperation agreement between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Algeria in the field of combating organized crime. It approved an agreement between the Saudi and Italian governments on mutual exemption from short-stay visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, special, or service passports. The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Foreign Affairs or his representative to negotiate and sign with the Russian side a draft agreement between the Saudi and Russian governments regarding mutual exemption from entry visa requirements for citizens of both countries. The Council approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance and Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony in the field of Islamic affairs. It authorized the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture or his representative to negotiate and sign with the International Consultative Group on Agricultural Research (CGIAR) regarding a draft agreement between the Ministry and the CGIAR to promote sustainability and innovation in the agricultural sector in the Kingdom. The Council approved a MoU between the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development of Zambia for cooperation in the field of mineral resources in the mining sector. It approved the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources or his representative to complete the necessary procedures for the Kingdom's accession to the Integrated Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development. The Council endorsed the amendment of the name of the Supreme National Investment Committee under the Council of Economic and Development Affairs to become the National Investment Committee of CEDA. It approved a mechanism for registering and verifying the biometric data of those arriving in and departing from the Kingdom via cruise ships. The Ministry of Education shall be the technical supervisory authority—in accordance with the Law of Associations and Civil Institutions—for the Saudi Arabian Boy Scouts Association. The Cabinet also endorsed reconstitution of the Insurance Disputes and Violations Resolution Committee in Dammam, headed by Saleh Al-Ghamdi, and including Dr. Muhammad Al-Duailej and Dr. Suleiman Al-Hamid as members.
