RIYADH — The Council of Ministers on Monday decided to allow setting up of private consumer protection societies. The weekly session of the Cabinet was chaired by Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdulaziz, deputy premier and minister of defense, at Al-Yamamah Palace here. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of Culture and Information Abdulaziz Al-Khudairi said the consumer societies will have legal personalities and enjoy financial autonomy. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry will issue license to these societies and work out necessary procedures to ensure their smooth functioning in coordination with the concerned government agencies. Al-Khudairi said the Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) for cooperation in space sciences and technology, signed in Beijing on March 14 this year. According to the MoU, the two sides will cooperate in designing, developing and making satellites for the purposes of scientific experiments, remote sensing of the earth and telecommunications, satellite launching services, and space sciences and explorations. The intellectual property rights that resulted from the joint cooperation will be preserved for the two sides and will be protected in accordance with the laws and regulations prevailing in both the countries. At the outset of the session, Al-Khudairi said, the Cabinet congratulated Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for the success of his initiative to repair the strained relations between Egypt and Qatar. While reviewing the global oil market situation, the Cabinet reiterated that the Kingdom's economy and industry are capable of withstanding the temporary fluctuations in oil prices. Considering this as a normal happening, the Cabinet emphasized that the Kingdom is doing everything possible to achieve the best results through a balanced policy, Al-Khudairi said.
Minister of Interior Prince Muhammad Bin Naif briefed the Cabinet on the ongoing efforts of the security forces to confront terrorist acts as well as to take legal procedures against all those who plan to undermine the Kingdom's security and stability.
