Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Crown Prince, Second Deputy Premier, Advisor and Special Envoy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, chaired the Cabinet's session at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah on Monday afternoon. At the outset of the session, the Cabinet was briefed on the results of talks held by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud with King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which dealt with overall events taking place at regional and international arenas, particularly the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and efforts to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, commending the keenness of the two countries on enhancing the prospects of cooperation between them to serve the interests of the two brotherly peoples in all fields. 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 renewed the calls of the Kingdom under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for the unification of the efforts of states and peoples to confront the threat of terrorism and the importance of optimal coordination between countries to eliminate it, expressing in this regard its thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for his support of the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism with an amount of one hundred million dollars emanating from his belief that terrorism is an evil causing concern to the international community and threatening all humanity. The Cabinet also expressed its appreciation for the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon for his thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for his efforts to establish the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism and his support, as well as mobilization of international efforts to combat and eliminate terrorism in all regions of the world. The minister said that the cabinet then reviewed a number of reports on the latest developments in the region, stressing that the contents of the final statement of foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Arab States, and its emphasis on the importance of concerted efforts to stop the bleeding of the peoples of the region, protect their interests and gains and fight extremist terrorist movements in order to enhance world security and stability. The cabinet welcomed the unanimous approval of the UN Security Council to cut off funding for the so-called organization of 'Daash' and 'Alnosrah Front,' put a number of people on the black list due to their ties to the two armed groups and threaten to impose sanctions on any person who helps the two terrorist groups. In this context, the Council of Ministers recalled the Royal Order issued by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, dated on 03/04/1435 AH, containing the punishment of imprisonment for a period not less than three years and not more than twenty years for all those who participate in hostilities outside the kingdom in any way and those belonging to intellectual, religious or extremist currents, groups or alike or those classified as terrorist organizations internally, regionally or internationally, or adopting their ideology or approach in any way. The cabinet also commended the final statement of the second emergency meeting of the Executive Committee of the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which was held at the headquarters of the OIC in Jeddah on the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and its expression of deep concern over the deteriorating situation and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip because of the continuing Israeli inhuman aggression and siege and its call on the Ministerial Contact Group which was formed to urgently move and communicate with international influential parties and work to stop the Israeli aggression and to convey the message and the decisions of the organization. The cabinet pointed out support and assistance provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Palestinian brothers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to alleviate the difficult conditions in which they live because of the Israeli aggression and terrorism. Dr. Khoja said that cabinet took the following decisions: First: The cabinet authorized Minister of Foreign Affairs - or his deputy - to discuss with Burkina Faso a draft agreement on general cooperation between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Republic of Burkina Faso, sign it, and then submit the final version for the completion of the statutory procedures. Second: The Council of Ministers approved the general agreement of cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kyrgyz Republic signed in the city of Bishkek dated on 07/03/1435 AH. The most prominent features of this agreement: 1 - Cooperation in all economic fields. 2 - Exchange of visits between the two sides. 3 - Encouragement of cooperation in the fields of education, scientific research and technical sciences through the exchange of information in areas of common interest and exchange of information on scientific research and technology. Thirdly: After reviewing a report of Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, the Cabinet approved a number of procedures that open the way for well-known foreign companies to work in the Kingdom without a need to subject them to the procedures applicable in the rating agency contractors including the following: 1 - The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, in coordination with concerned government agencies, shall put a list updated periodically of well-known foreign companies to be dealt with in a number of areas related to the works of construction, infrastructure, energy, information technology, maintenance and operation. 2 - Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority shall register the companies mentioned on the list referred to, qualify them according to the criteria and special controls, and grant them temporary certificates to implement one governmental project; these certificates shall be considered as certificates of classification for the purposes of offering to compete for government projects. Fourth: The Cabinet approved the agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of People's Democratic Republic of Algeria for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of tax evasion with respect to taxes on income and capital, signed in Riyadh on 16/02/1435 AH. Fifth: The Cabinet authorized Minister of Labor or his deputy to discuss with Jordan a draft memorandum of understanding on the areas of work between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, sign it, and then submit the final version to complete the statutory procedures. Sixth: After reviewing the report filed by the Minister of Social Affairs regarding his request to interpret the phrase (the ability of breadwinner) in paragraph (10) of Article (I) of the Social Security system, and after consideration of Majlis Al-Shura's decision No. (29/15) dated on 4/6/1434 AH, the cabinet approved the following: 1- The ability of breadwinner shall be considered as a person's ability - based on his fixed and stable material resources - to provide for the basic living needs of those whose expenses must be legally paid by him including housing, clothing, food, water, medicine, education and transportation. 2- The Ministry of Social Affairs shall develop appropriate value rules and determinants for the ability of the breadwinner, according to the economic changes in the Kingdom, and periodically review them through the social security regulation and its implementing regulations. Seventh: The Cabinet approved appointments as follows: 1- Engineer Basem bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Shafi as Information Technology Advisor (rank 15th) at the Ministry of Civil Service. 2- Dr. Bandar bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Aba Al-Khail as Deputy Director General for Training (rank 15th) at Institute of Public Administration. 3- Abdullah bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Rashid as Assistant Director General of Customs for Customs Security (rank 15th) at General Customs Authority. 4- Engineer Abdullah bin Nasser bin Mabrouk Al-Quraishi as Assistant Undersecretary for Technical Affairs (rank 14th) at the Ministry of National Guard. 5- Salah bin Mohammed bin Odeh Al-Ruzaiq as Assistant Undersecretary for Internal Trade (rank 14th) at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Cabinet was briefed on the annual reports of the Ministry of Culture and Information, Irrigation and Sanitation Authority in Ahsa, and Institute of Public Administration for the previous fiscal years and issued its directives towards them. The Cabinet's General Secretariat will submit the results of this session to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for his directives in this regard.
