RIYADH — The Council of Ministers underscored Saudi Arabia's efforts to enhance security and stability in Yemen and to foster a supportive environment for dialogue among all parties. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chaired the Cabinet session in Riyadh on Tuesday. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said that the Cabinet reviewed the latest developments in the region, especially the Yemeni situation. The Cabinet reiterated its welcome of the request by the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council President Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi to convene a comprehensive conference in Riyadh bringing together all southern factions, with the aim of reaching a just solution to the southern issue that fulfills the legitimate aspirations of the southern people. Al-Dossary said the Cabinet discussed the Kingdom's ongoing efforts to address the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip by intensifying air, sea, and land aid bridges to support the Palestinian people. "These efforts are carried out under the directives of King Salman and the Crown Prince and reflect the Kingdom's longstanding role in providing humanitarian assistance and its unwavering support for the Palestinian cause," it was pointed out. At the outset of the session, the Cabinet reviewed the contents of telephone calls received by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye, President Ahmed Al-Sharaa of Syria, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan. The discussions addressed relations between the Kingdom and these countries, as well as regional and international developments. On the domestic affairs, the Cabinet affirmed the Kingdom's commitment to strengthening its position in advanced technologies and building an integrated digital ecosystem that enhances the competitiveness of the national economy and attracts investment, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to establish a sustainable, data- and artificial intelligence-driven economy. The Cabinet commended the launch in Riyadh of the world's largest government data center project, "Hexagon," which is considered as a significant strategic milestone that reinforces the Kingdom's position as a global hub in this field, ensures data sovereignty and security, and enables innovation and the growth of the digital economy. The Cabinet approved the draft rules and procedures for the National Minerals Program, and the regulations for the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science. The Council has also renewed the National Program for the Development of the Information Technology Sector until the end of 2030. The Cabinet approved a draft headquarters agreement between the Saudi government and the Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education, and a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Nature in the field of adopting and localizing innovations and advanced technologies in the environment, water and agriculture sector. The Cabinet authorized the minister of tourism or his deputy to discuss a draft MoU for cooperation in the field of tourism with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Art of Trinidad and Tobago, and the minister of tourism or his deputy to discuss a draft MoU for cooperation in the field of tourism with the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The Council authorized the minister of industry and mineral resources and the chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Geological Survey or his deputy to discuss a draft memorandum of cooperation in the field of earth sciences between the Saudi Geological Survey and Satbayev Kazakh National Research Technical University. The Cabinet approved a draft MoU between the Saudi General Authority for Competition and the Omani Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion in the field of competition protection and the prevention of harmful monopolistic practices, and a draft cooperation agreement between the Saudi Presidency of State Security and the Zambian Security and Intelligence Service in the field of combating terrorism and its financing. The Council approved a draft MoU between the Saudi National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification and the Moroccan National Agency for Water and Forests in the field of developing natural vegetation cover and combating desertification.
