JEDDAH — The Saudi Council of Ministers reiterated Saudi Arabia's call to the international community, especially the permanent members of the UN Security Council, to urgently intervene to end the famine in the Gaza Strip and halt the war of genocide and crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chaired the Cabinet session in Jeddah on Tuesday. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said that the Cabinet affirmed its support for the outcomes of the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held in Jeddah on Monday, to discuss the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and coordinate mechanisms to halt the genocide, as well as Israeli decisions and plans aimed at entrenching the occupation and gaining complete control over the Gaza Strip. The Cabinet emphasized that the continuation of Israeli violations without accountability or punishment undermines the international order and the rules of international law, and are likely to widen the circle of conflict and unrest, threatening regional and global security and peace. The Council strongly condemned the continued Israeli violations, its incursion into Syrian territory, and its interference in its internal affairs. It affirmed the Kingdom's full support for the measures taken by the Syrian government to achieve security and stability, preserve civil peace, and maintain the sovereignty of the state and its institutions. The Cabinet also categorically rejected any separatist calls to divide Syria. At the outset of the session, the King briefed the Cabinet on the contents of the message he received from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, regarding relations between the two countries and ways to support and strengthen them in various fields. Al-Dossary said the Cabinet was then briefed on the outcome of the reception of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman President of Egypt and on the content of his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the call, Putin praised the role of Saudi Arabia and its constructive efforts to achieve world peace and promote dialogue as a means of resolving international crises. The Council reiterated the Kingdom's call on all Sudanese parties to implement the provisions of the Jeddah Declaration signed in May 2023, to commit to protecting civilians, ensuring the security of relief and humanitarian aid corridors, and to prioritize the interests of the Sudanese people and spare them the scourge of war and internal conflict. While reviewing comprehensive statistics on the number of Umrah pilgrims this year, the Council of Ministers expressed its continued welcome to the guests of God coming from various countries around the world, and its continued commitment to exerting all efforts and harnessing all capabilities and potential to provide them with comfort from their arrival until their safe and sound departure to their homes. Minister of Media stated that the Cabinet commended the success of the King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorization, Recitation, and Interpretation of the Holy Quran, which, for the first time in its history, witnessed the participation of 179 contestants from 128 countries. This demonstrates the Kingdom's continued leadership in serving Islam and caring for the Book of God and its memorizers. The Council commended the broad community engagement with the annual national blood donation campaign, launched by the Crown Prince with the aim of instilling the values of humanitarian work and achieving self-sufficiency in blood and its components, ensuring safe and sustainable supplies that meet the needs of beneficiaries across all regions of the Kingdom. The Council appreciated the Human Resources Development Fund's contribution to employing 267000 male and female citizens to work in private sector establishments during the first half of 2025. This reinforces its strategic role in empowering national cadres, enhancing their competitiveness, and supporting the growth of the labor market in the Kingdom. The Council considered the Crown Prince's attendance of the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup an extension of its ongoing support for this sector. This is through the launch of an integrated package of legislation and regulations within the framework of a national strategy aimed at building a globally competitive sector that will provide 39000 jobs and contribute approximately SR50 billion to the gross domestic product by 2030. The Cabinet approved the Law for the Expropriation of Real Estate in the Public Interest and the Temporary Seizure of Real Estate. It endorsed the updated strategy for the development of the Asir region. The Council authorized Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Supreme Commission for Industrial Security or his representative to negotiate with the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences regarding the draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Commission and the university in the field of industrial security, and to sign it. The Council endorsed the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance to negotiate with the Islamic Council of Madagascar regarding a draft MoU in the field of Islamic affairs, and to sign it, approved another MoU between the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia for cooperation in the field of mineral resources, and approved a MoU between the Saudi Ministry of Health and the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for cooperation in the health sector. The Cabinet authorized Minister of Investment or his representative to negotiate with the Chinese side regarding a draft MoU between the Saudi government and the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China for cooperation in the field of information exchange in the areas of infrastructure and construction, and to sign it. It authorized Minister of Human Resources and Social Development and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Authority for the Care of Persons with Disabilities or his representative to negotiate with the Venezuelan side regarding the draft MoU between the authority and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities in Venezuela, regarding cooperation in the field of the rights of persons with disabilities, and to sign it. The Council approved a MoU for Cooperation in the Field of Civil Aviation between the Saudi General Authority of Civil and the Kuwaiti General Directorate of Civil Aviation. It authorized President of the Saudi General Auditing Bureau or his representative to negotiate with the Cypriot and Gambian sides regarding the draft MoU between the bureau and the Audit Bureau of Cyprus and the National Audit Bureau of Gambia, regarding cooperation in the field of accounting, auditing, and professional work, and to sign them.
