Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has directed all state sectors to provide pilgrims with quality services of the highest standards, as serving them is a great honor. The King issued this directive while presiding over the Council of Ministers meeting in Neom, Tabuk Region Tuesday, Saudi Press Agency reported. King Salman congratulated the pilgrims from within the Kingdom and abroad on their arrival in the holy lands. He thanked Allah Almighty for honoring the Kingdom, leadership and people, with serving the Two Holy Mosques as well as the pilgrims, Umrah performers and visitors to the Two Holy Mosques. He prayed to Allah to assist the pilgrims in performing their Haj rites and to accept their Haj. The King made sure preparations by the various sectors to serve pilgrims have been completed. He stressed that all facilities be provided to make the pilgrims' stay in Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites comfortable. At the outset of the session, the Cabinet members offered their sincere condolences to King Salman, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, and the royal family on the death of Prince Bandar Bin Abdulaziz. They also offered condolences to the sons of the late Prince Bandar and prayed to Allah Almighty to have mercy on his soul. The King expressed his thanks and appreciation to the leaders and envoys of a number of countries, princes, scholars, ministers, senior officials and citizens who offered their condolences on the death of Prince Bandar, praying to Allah Almighty to bestow mercy upon the soul of the deceased prince. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of State, Cabinet Member and Acting Minister of Media Dr. Essam Bin Saad Bin Saeed said that the Cabinet reviewed a number of reports on the latest developments. The Cabinet commended the signing of the minutes for the establishment of the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council (SBCC) which will lead to a number of specialized committees in political, military, economic, investment, media and social fields to enhance the prospects for joint action, cooperation and integration between the two countries and advance the process of joint cooperation between them for the interest of their peoples. The Cabinet expressed its deepest and sincere condolences to the government and people of the Republic of Tunisia on the death of President Beji Caid Essebsi and to the family of the deceased, praying to Allah Almighty to bestow His mercy on the soul of the deceased president. The minister said that the Cabinet expressed Saudi Arabia's condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist bombing that targeted the headquarters of Municipality of Mogadishu, Somalia, and the terrorist attacks in Kabul and northeastern Nigeria. It expressed condolences to the families of the victims and the governments and peoples of Somalia, Afghanistan and Nigeria, wishing the injured a speedy recovery, renewing the Kingdom's solidarity with countries against all forms of violence, extremism and terrorism. The Cabinet issued the following decisions: The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Interior, or his deputy, to discuss with the Kuwaiti side a draft cooperation agreement between the governments of the Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in the field of countering illicit traffic in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and chemical precursors and their smuggling, and to sign and submit the final version to complete formal procedures. The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China in the field of combating cybercrime. A royal decree has been prepared in this regard. The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Interior, or his deputy, to discuss with the Iraqi side a draft security cooperation agreement between the government of Saudi Arabia and the government of the Republic of Iraq, and to sign and submit the final version to complete formal procedures. The Council has decided to authorize the Minister of Commerce and Investment and Chairman of the Intellectual Property Rights Authority, or his deputy, to sign the UN Agreement on International Settlement Resulting From Mediation, and to hold talks with the Japanese side on a draft Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of intellectual property between the Saudi Intellectual Property Rights Authority and the Japanese Patents Office and sign it. The Council approved the Kingdom joining "Striving towards Growth" Project of the United Nations OECD and the Ministry of Economy and Planning shall complete the regulatory procedures. Upon the recommendation of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA), the Cabinet has decided to convert the National Committee for Enhancing Psychological Health to a center under the name "The National Center for Enhancing Psychological Health. Upon the recommendation of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA), the Council of Ministers has approved the organizational structure and guide for the Ministry of Labor and Social Development. Upon the recommendation of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA), the Cabinet has approved transferring "The National Program for Raising Government Spending Efficiency through job practices" from the Ministry of Civil Service to the Center for Achieving Spending Efficiency. The Council has decided to authorize the Saudi Railways (SAR) to carry out the railways initiatives included and approved within the initiatives of the Program for Developing National Industries and Logistic Services. — SG/SPA
