NEOM — The Saudi Cabinet session, chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in NEOM on Tuesday, strongly condemned the decision of the Israeli occupation authorities to fully occupy the Gaza Strip. The session also slammed Israel's continued perpetration of crimes of starvation, brutal practices, and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people. The Council of Ministers stressed that the ongoing failure of the international community and the UN Security Council to halt these attacks and violations undermines the foundations of international order and legitimacy, threatens regional and global peace and security, and portends grave consequences that could encourage genocide and forced displacement. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said that the Crown Prince briefed the Cabinet on his meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan. During the meeting, the two leaders reviewed the fraternal relations between their countries and discussed ways to enhance and develop them across various fields, as well as several key issues on the Arab and Islamic fronts, with particular focus on recent developments in Palestine. The Crown Prince also briefed the Cabinet on the content of his phone call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. During the call, Abbas praised the Kingdom's steadfast support for the Palestinian people and their just cause and its efforts and honorable stances under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, saying that this has contributed to the commitment of many countries to recognize the State of Palestine. Al-Dossary said that the Cabinet welcomed Australia's intention to recognize the State of Palestine and New Zealand's consideration of a similar step, commending the growing international consensus in support of implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. After reviewing the phone call received by the Crown Prince from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, the Cabinet reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's commitment to and support for efforts aimed at resolving the Ukrainian crisis, achieving peace, and facilitating dialogue between the parties. The Cabinet welcomed the announcement of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, expressing hope for the beginning of a new phase of understanding, cooperation, and the consolidation of security and stability between the two countries, serving the interests of their peoples and the wider Caucasus region. The Cabinet reviewed the outcome of the Kingdom's participation in the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries in Turkmenistan, and emphasized the importance of strengthening international efforts to address regional and global challenges, contribute to global economic stability, and promote sustainable development. On domestic affairs, the Cabinet reviewed the progress of national strategies and programs, their achievements in meeting development goals, and their contributions to improving the performance of the public and private sectors. In this context, the Cabinet commended the tangible progress made by government agencies in the 2025 Digital Experience Maturity Index, reaffirming their commitment to providing the best services to citizens, residents, and visitors, facilitating business, and enhancing the Kingdom's standing in international indicators. The Cabinet approved the requirement for accepting a lawsuit before labor courts to first submit it to the Labor Office for a period of one year, and this will be enforced from Thursday, Safar 20, 1447 AH, corresponding to August 14, 2025. This is pursuant to Paragraph A of Clause First of a previous royal decree, which stipulates that "in a labor lawsuit, it must be submitted to the Labor Office before it is filed before the Labor Court, to take the necessary measures to settle the dispute amicably." The Council also amended certain articles of the organization of the Saudi Bar Association, as stated in the decision. The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a strategic partnership council between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Singapore and another MoU on environmental protection between the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the Moroccan Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development. It also endorsed MoU for cooperation in social development between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Malaysia; MoU for cooperation in the logistics sector between the Saudi Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services and the Singaporean Ministry of Trade and Industry, and MoU on the development of trade relations between the Saudi General Authority of Foreign Trade and the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce. The Council approved a joint customs cooperation agreement for the mutual recognition of the Authorized Economic Operator program between the Saudi Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority and the Moroccan Administration of Customs and Indirect Taxes. It endorsed a MoU on developing non-oil exports between the Saudi Export Development Authority and the Export Agency under the Government of Tajikistan, and another MoU for cooperation on the peaceful use of outer space between the Saudi Space Agency and the Korea Aerospace Administration.
