The Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, chaired the Cabinet's session at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah on Monday afternoon. The Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz bin Mohiuddin Khoja said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session that the Cabinet was briefed on a number of reports on the latest developments at Arab, regional and international arenas. The Cabinet expressed the extreme concern of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia about of the latest developments in Iraq as they would not arise without the sectarian and exclusionary policies practiced in Iraq over the past years which have threatened its security, stability and sovereignty. The Cabinet stressed the need to preserve Iraq's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and the rejection of foreign interference in its internal affairs, inviting all Iraqi people strata to begin taking actions to ensure the real participation of all components of the Iraqi people to determine the future of Iraq and the equality between them to assume powers and responsibilities in the administration of the State's affairs, conduct political and constitutional reforms needed to achieve this, accelerate the formation of a government of national consensus to work on the restoration of security and stability, and avoid policies based on religious and sectarian instigation practiced in Iraq. The Cabinet also emphasized the importance of exerting all efforts to preserve the lives of civilians and alleviate their sufferings. The Cabinet welcomed the final statement of the International Summit to Combat Violence in Conflict Zones held in London, reiterating the Kingdom's calls and appeals for the international community to take the necessary measures, including a legislation to ensure the rights of women and their protection from violence, the cooperation of the international community to protect civilians especially in times of armed conflict, the need to treat these crimes as war crimes against humanity and holding accountable their perpetrators and punish them. The Council of Ministers also called for concerted international efforts to counter terrorism and fight it as the phenomenon of terrorism has become the most serious challenge facing the international community, stressing in this context the contents of the speech of the kingdom before the General Assembly of the United Nations on the Fourth Review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and its emphasis that the establishment of justice, removal of injustice, the rule of law, development, education, dialogue and the elimination of the occupation are the most powerful ways to eliminate the roots of the problem. The council reviewed the meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, in the Austrian capital, Vienna; its discussion of the conditions of the international oil market; and its decisions on maintaining the current production ceiling until the end of the year. Then, the cabinet discussed a number of topics on local affairs, valuing the Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' constant care for science, scientists, historians, history and scientific research. Dr. Khoja said that based on the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and during its meeting held on 18.8.1435 H., the cabinet was briefed on a number of topics, and took the following decisions: First: The Council of Ministers approved the project of public transport in Makkah approved by the Royal Order No. (45268) dated on 10/07/1433 H. according to a number of arrangements, including the following: 1- The project shall be exempted from the condition of advertising and public tender. Competition shall be limited to the companies that shall be invited and qualified initially. 2- Models of FIDIC contracts shall be adopted in the implementation of the project. 3- Makkah trains company for public transport shall manage the implementation of the public transport project in the city of Makkah. The company shall provide its annual budget to the supervisory committee of the project for approval in accordance with the statutory procedures. The executive committee of the project shall oversee the implementation of the budget's items. Second: The Cabinet approved the authorization of General President of Youth Welfare - or his deputy - to discuss with the Korean side a draft memorandum of understanding between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Republic of South Korea to cooperate in the field of sports and sign it before submitting its signed final version for completion of regular procedures. Third: After reviewing the report submitted by the Minister of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Exports Development Authority (SEDA), the Cabinet approved the appointment of four members of the exporters in SEDA board of directors for a period of three years as follows: 1 - Engineer / Saleh bin Ahmed bin Ali Hefei. 2 - Engineer / Abdullah bin Abdulrahman bin Thunayan Al-Obeikan. 3 - Engineer / Ahmed bin Omar bin Sulaiman Albdullatif. 4 - Engineer / Ahmed bin Abdulaziz bin Mohamed Al-Ohaly. Fourth: The cabinet approved controls of the practice of the business of female beautification. Among the most prominent of these controls are: 1- The business of female beautification shall be regulated so as the practice of this business shall require obtaining a license from the municipality after coordination with the General Presidency for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and civil defense, in accordance with the regulations and instructions, and these controls' conditions and procedures. 2- The business shall be limited to what concerns the beautification of women. Sharia and legal controls shall be adhered to in practicing this activity. 3- The female who wants to obtain a license shall be: A- A Saudi national, B- Not less than twenty five years of age except for those who obtained the beauty diploma from one of the technical colleges for girls. C- Commit to manage the shop by herself or appoint a full-time Saudi director. Fifth: The Cabinet approved appointments as follows: 1- Mohammad bin Salih bin Abdullah Almonas as Director General of the Department of Technical Affairs at the Ministry of Interior (at the 15th rank). 2- Salman bin Abdulaziz bin Saad bin Shwaiheen as Director General of the Department of Expatriates at the Ministry of Interior (at the 14th rank). 3- Ali bin Abdullah bin Saad Alhamda as sector chief at the Ministry of Finance (at the 14th rank). The Cabinet was briefed on annual reports of the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Saudi Development Fund and the Saudi Commission for Industrial Cities and Technological Zones for previous fiscal years. The Council took note of their contents and issued its directives towards them. The Cabinet's General Secretariat will submit the Cabinet's decisions issued today to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for his directives in this regard.
