The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Prime Minister, chaired today the Cabinet's virtual session. At the outset of the session, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the Cabinet on the message he received from Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah which reviewed the strong brotherly relations binding the two brotherly countries. The Cabinet praised the issuance of the royal order forming the Shura Council, wishing the members of the Council all success in performing their duties to serve the comprehensive development process witnessed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under its prudent leadership. The Cabinet hailed the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' speech at the end of the virtual Youth engagement group (Y20) Summit, which affirmed the G20 Saudi Presidency's highly valuing the monarch's underscoring the importance of the issues discussed in terms of the Kingdom's interests in light of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 containing youths empowerment and skills development programs to achieve regional and international excellence in a number of fields as well as its keenness to listen to the recommendations of Y20 through the exceptional interest their leadership is attaching to discuss the policies related the education and work of youths, particularly in light of the current circumstances of COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Acting Minister of Media Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi stated that the Cabinet addressed the final communique of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Banks Governors Meeting, which was virtually held under the presidency of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, stressing that the signs of recovery as economies have been gradually reopening due to the coronavirus epidemic started to yield results . The final communique reaffirmed determination to continue to use all available policy tools as long as required to safeguard people's lives, jobs and means of living, and support the global economic recovery, and enhance the resilience of the financial system, while safeguarding against downside risk and achieving a strong, balanced and comprehensive growth to guarantee the ability to immediate response to the developments of health, economic and sustainable recovery of the situation in addition to proceeding with the agreed upon commitments together with taking joint measures to enhance cooperation and working frames at the international arena. --More 00:59 LOCAL TIME 21:59 GMT 0024
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Chairs Cabinet's Virtual Session 2 NEOM The Cabinet reviewed the results of the strategic dialogue meetings held between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America, focusing on strategic issues aiming at continuing and strengthening the partnership and cooperation between the two friendly countries in a number of areas, including combating extremism and terrorism, and confronting Iran's destabilizing and threatening attitude in the Middle East and disrupting global trade. The Cabinet reiterated the Kingdom's endeavor, through its presidency of the G20, to cooperate with member states, including the United States of America, to achieve success in the G20 Leaders' Summit, which will be held virtually in November. The Cabinet highlighted the 7th G20 Religious Values Forum, which was held under the presidency of the Kingdom with the participation of around 500 figures from 45 countries, underscoring the importance of confronting hate speech and spreading the values of tolerance and cooperation and rejecting violence and racism in various human societies, stressing the necessity of joining efforts of governmental and national religious institutions and international organizations to confront the discourse of extremism, racism as well as the phenomenon of Islamophobia, and work to strengthen the values of moderation and tolerance in the culture and systems of societies. Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi indicated that the Cabinet has followed up the start of the second phase of the gradual return to performing Umrah and prayers within Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah (the area between Prophet Muhammad's grave and his pulpit) for citizens and expatriates from inside the Kingdom, according to specific arrangements that are subject to continuous evaluation according to the developments of the pandemic, in order to provide the utmost levels of care and preservation of health and safety in a way that achieves the aspirations of the leadership, by enabling visitors and Umrah performers, to accomplish the ritual in a safe and healthy manner, and reach the objectives of the Islamic law in preserving human lives. The Cabinet reviewed the latest reports and developments regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, at the local and international levels, in both their preventive and therapeutic aspects, in addition to the positive developments reported in the Kingdom's COVID-19 statistics, the results of advanced laboratory tests in facing the pandemic and the Kingdom's contributions regarding clinical research and studies on the virus. In this regard, official reports indicate that the Kingdom ranked 25th globally, 2nd in the Middle East, and 1st in the Arab world, in issuing scientific papers related to the virus. The Cabinet reiterated the Kingdom's strong condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist stabbing incident that took place in a Paris suburb, which led to the death of a French citizen. The Cabinet expressed the Kingdom's solidarity with France in this brutal incident, affirming its position rejecting all acts of terrorism, extremism and violence whatever its forms or justifications, calling to respect religious figures and refraining from stirring up hate. The Cabinet reviewed topics on its agenda, including some being co-studied by the Shura Council. The Cabinet was also briefed on the outcomes reached by the Economic and Development Affairs Council, the Political and Security Affairs Council, the General Committee of the Council of Ministers, and the Cabinet's Experts Commission with regard to the agenda. --More 00:59 LOCAL TIME 21:59 GMT 0025
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Chairs Cabinet's Virtual Session 3 NEOM The Cabinet issued the following decisions: First: The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Foreign Affairs - or his deputy - to establish diplomatic relations at a non-resident ambassador level between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Tonga. Second: The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Transport, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority of Civil Aviation - or his deputy - to discuss and sign with the Guatemalan side a draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of air transport services between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Republic of Guatemala. Third: The Cabinet renewed the membership of a number of members of the General Commission for Survey's Board of Directors. --More 00:59 LOCAL TIME 21:59 GMT 0026
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Chairs Cabinet's Virtual Session 4 NEOM Fourth: The Cabinet approved amending its Resolution No. (406), dated 12/27/1433 AH, regarding arrangements for children of a Saudi mother and a non-Saudi father. Fifth: The Cabinet approved the organization of the National Center for the Prevention and Control of Plant Pests and Animal Diseases. Sixth: The Cabinet approved adding a representative from King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) to the membership of the Secondment and Work Committee at regional and international organizations. Seventh: The Cabinet approved a number of promotions at the 14th and 15th ranks. The Cabinet was briefed on a number of issues on its agenda and took relevant recommendations.
