The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet's session at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Monday. At the outset of the session, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the Cabinet on the outcomes of his talks with President Alpha Conde of Republic of Guinea; the message received from Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Emir of State of Kuwait; the telephone call received from President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir of Republic of Sudan; and the results of his meetings with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Dr. Salim Al-Jubouri and a delegation of members of United States Congress. The Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Adel bin Zaid Altoraifi said in a statement to Saudi Press Agency following the session that the Cabinet was briefed on the joint statement issued by Saudi-Egyptian Coordination Council in its fifth meeting held in Riyadh yesterday, commending the signing of a number of agreements to enhance continuing bilateral cooperation to achieve the common interests of the two sisterly countries and their peoples. The Cabinet was briefed on reports on the latest developments in the region and the world and the international efforts regarding them, especially the latest developments at the Syrian arena. The Cabinet considered the partial withdrawal of Russian troops as a positive step, expressing hope that this withdrawal contributes to accelerating the pace of the political process based on "Geneva 1" declaration and compelling Al-Assad's regime to make concessions necessary to achieve the political transition sought by all in Syria. The Cabinet reiterated, in this context, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's condemnation of the ongoing violations and crimes being committed by the Syrian regime and its agents against the Syrian people, which resulted in the murdering of 400,000 people, the injury of about one million people and the displacement, migration and asylum of over 12 million people, highlighting the joint statement recently delivered by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for Arab States before Human Rights Council in Geneva during the interactive dialogue with the international Commission of Inquiry on Syria, expressing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's resentment and condemnation of the Syrian regime's ongoing delay of the approval of aid entry permits and non-permitting the access of necessary medical supplies to areas under siege, and its appeal to the international community to compel the Syrian regime and its agents to ceasefire and daily violations of truce that has been agreed upon and the need to facilitate the access of humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. The Cabinet expressed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's strong condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist bombing hit Istanbul and resulted in a number of deaths and injuries, and the suicide bombing in the capital of Borno State in Nigeria which resulted in dozens of dead and wounded, reiterating the Kingdom's firm positions against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and its support for all measures being taken by the sisterly countries to protect their security and stability. The Cabinet was briefed on the issues on its agenda and decided the following: After reviewing the report of the Ministry of Education regarding the development of an effective system of education transportation in the Kingdom and after reconsideration per the recommendation of the Standing Committee of the Council of Economic Affairs and Development No. (2-14 / 37 / d) dated 20/05/1437H, the Cabinet approved to form a committee of specialists, in the field of educational transport in the Ministry of Transport and Membership of Ministries of (Interior, Education, Labor and Municipal and Rural Affairs), to be responsible for the coordination among the relevant authorities to educational transport. The cabinet also approved that the Ministry of Education is to review times of the formal work for the male and female students in the public and higher education in order to reduce traffic jams. The cabinet also approved that the Ministry of Labor studies determination of the percentage of Saudization in the educational transport sector and reviews it periodically. The Cabinet authorized the Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior or - his deputy - to discuss and sign with the Azerbaijani side a draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of civil defense between the Interior Ministry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Cabinet approved to merge Railways Commission and Public Transport Commission in one commission titled "Public Transport Commission". The Cabinet also cancelled arrangement of the Railways Commission issued in 12/1/1429H. The Cabinet also approved amendment of arrangement of the Public Transport Commission issued in 14/9/1434H. After reviewing the recommendation of the Standing Committee of the Council of Economic Affairs and Development No. (14-9 / 37 / d) dated 15/04/1437 AH, the Cabinet approved a number of arrangements, including: 1. To establish an organizational unit in the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs at the level of General Department associated with the Ministry's Agency for Urban Planning, to be named as the "National Urban Observatory" to be the main reference for whatever related to urban monitoring process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 2. The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs shall prepare a five year evaluation study after the establishment of the National Urban Observatory and the exercise of its duties, before the submission of it to the Royal Court, to consider the Observatory's independence and development. The Cabinet approved a number of appointments as follows: 1. Mohammed bin Abdurrahman bin Abdulmohsen bin Muqrin is appointed to the post of adviser for employee affairs (rank 15) at the Ministry of National Guard. 2. Mohammed bin Abdulkareem bin Abdullah Al-Junaidel is appointed to the post of director general of the legal administration (rank 15) at the Saudi Fund for Development. 3. Adel bin Hassan bin Hamad Al Hassan is appointed to the post of administrative adviser (rank 15) at General Presidency for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. 4. Saud bin Mohammed bin Ahmad Hunaidi is appointed to the post of office's director general of the Governor of Region (rank 14) at Makkah Principality. 5. Adel bin Mubarak bin Abdullah Al-Mubarak is appointed to the post assistant undersecretary for external trade (rank 14) at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. 6. The following names are appointed as minister plenipotentiary: - Hani bin Abdullah Muminah. - Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Turki. - Adnan bin Abdurahim Bamaqos. 7. Nami bin Khalaf Al-Shammeri is appointed to the post of assistant director general of bureau's branch in Makkah region (rank 14) at the Control and Investigation Bureau. The Cabinet was briefed on a number of issues listed on its agenda, including a report on aspects of cooperation with the Republic of South Africa, and another on the results of the visit paid by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Republic of Indonesia, and it has been taken note of the two above-mentioned reports and issued its decisions concerning them.
