The Saudi Cabinet approved on Tuesday the national policy to promote the equality of opportunities and treatment in employment and occupation in Saudi Arabia. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman, chaired the Cabinet's session held at Irqah Palace in Riyadh. It also approved two agreements regarding the employment of domestic workers and laborers between the government of Saudi Arabia and the government of Sierra Leone. At the outset of the session, the Cabinet reviewed the recent talks and discussions held between Saudi Arabia and several countries on enhancing relations and building bridges of cooperation and developing them to serve common interests. The Cabinet followed up on the current developments in the regional and international arenas and efforts being exerted in this regard. The Cabinet affirmed Saudi Arabia's continued support for collective multilateral action within the framework of the principles of the UN and active participation in endeavors that can contribute to achieving a more stable and prosperous world. The Cabinet welcomed the launch of the final phase of the political process in Sudan. The Cabinet affirmed that the Kingdom continues efforts with the Sudanese people and international partners within the Quad and the Friends of Sudan Group, to achieve stability and prosperity in Sudan. The Cabinet also considered Saudi Arabia's participation in the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan as a confirmation of solidarity with Pakistan and its people in facing the ramifications of floods and an extension of what the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has provided of support and contributions in the humanitarian field to assist affected people. The Cabinet also thanked Allah the Almighty for the blessings on this holy country and the honor to serve the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors and for enabling the Kingdom to welcome seven million Umrah performers to perform rituals in 2022, and resuming the numbers of pilgrims in the 1444 Hijri/2023 Hajj season to pre-pandemic levels. The Cabinet decided to authorize the minister of investment to discuss and sign with the Indian side a draft program for framework cooperation between the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia and the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation of the Republic of India (Invest in India) to promote bilateral investment. It authorized the minister of energy to discuss and sign with the Ecuadorean and Colombian sides regarding two draft memorandums of understanding between the government of Saudi Arabia and the governments of Ecuador and Colombia for cooperation in the fields of energy. The Cabinet authorized the minister of environment, water and agriculture to discuss and sign with the Cuban side a draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of environmental protection between the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba. It approved the Kingdom's accession to the Arab agreement to regulate passenger transport on roads between and across Arab countries. It decided also that the minister of municipal, rural affairs and housing shall determine the basis for assessing municipal license issuance fees, on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis based on his estimates in this regard. It clarified that according to Paragraph one of Article 17 of the Law of Eminent Domain and Temporary Taking of Property, the phrase "after handing over the property" refers to the act of handing over the property legally through documenting what happens to rights before a notary public or a judge, in addition to that the payment of expropriation compensation occurs after the property is handed over in this sense but prior to its evacuation. — SPA
