RIYADH — All government projects and purchase contracts amounting to SR100 million or more can be awarded only with the approval of the Council of Ministers. The weekly session of the Cabinet, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman at Al-Yamamah Palace here on Monday, took a decision in this regard, according to the Saudi Press Agency. In a statement to SPA following the session, Minister of Culture and Information Adel Al-Turaifi said all the ministries, government departments and public sector undertakings have been instructed to submit the projects and purchase contracts of SR100m or more to the Cabinet for examination and approval. This will be applicable also to the additional allocations for the existing projects. Al-Turaifi said the Cabinet abrogated paragraph 10 in the rules and procedures for tackling delay in the implementation of government projects, approved by the Council of Ministers six years ago. According to the rules, the Cabinet's approval was required only for government projects and purchase contracts worth more than SR300 million. The Cabinet endorsed the renewal of the membership of four directors of the board of the Grain Silos and Flour Mills Organization. The Cabinet condemned the terrorist acts perpetrated by the Houthi militias who are terrifying civilians with heavy artillery and tanks in Yemen. Al-Turaifi said the Cabinet praised the commanders of Yemeni military units and those affiliated to them for their initiative to communicate with their legitimate government and pledge their allegiance to it. “This comes out of their eagerness to put their national interest above everything else and to maintain Yemen's security and stability,” it said. The Cabinet also welcomed the decision of Yemen's President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi to appoint Prime Minister Khaled Bahah as vice president of the country.
