The Cabinet, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on Tuesday at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, commended Saudi Arabia's success in evacuating its citizens and nationals of other countries stranded in Sudan, and transporting them to the Kingdom with the highest levels of efficiency and competence. These efforts are part of the Kingdom's exercising its duty towards its citizens everywhere, and its solidarity with all peoples of the world. The Cabinet tackled developments in Sudan and the Kingdom's diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to solve the crisis, restore security and stability in Sudan, and alleviate the impact of the current crisis on the Sudanese people. Saudi Arabia has been providing humanitarian and medical aid worth $100 million, and has launched a fundraising campaign, playing a pioneering role in this respect worldwide. At the outset of the session, the Cabinet was briefed on the recent meetings between Saudi officials and their counterparts in several friendly countries, with whom they discussed ways to strengthen relations and held consultations on the latest regional and international developments. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Minister of Media Salman Bin Yousef Al-Dosari said that the Cabinet welcomed the ministerial-level decision of the Arab League Council, held recently in Cairo, to resume the participation of delegations of the Syrian government in the meetings of the Arab League Council and all its affiliated organizations and bodies. The Cabinet, he said, also stressed the Kingdom's keenness to support all efforts that seek to reach a political solution to the crisis in Syria in a way that preserves the country's unity, security, stability and Arab affiliation, and achieves the well-being and prosperity of this brotherly people. The Cabinet also reiterated the Kingdom's commitment, made during its participation in the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, to work with international and regional partners to find solutions to climate issues, including developing carbon management techniques, reducing carbon and other gas emissions in the energy sector, and limiting deforestation. The Cabinet also commended Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman's announcement of the launch of four special economic zones, in Riyadh, Jazan, Ras Al-Khair and King Abdullah Economic City, with the aim of developing and diversifying the economy and improving the investment environment, thus making the Kingdom a leading global investment destination. The minister said that the Cabinet reviewed the performance indicators of the state's general budget during the first quarter of 2023, including total revenues, expenditures and public debt, and that they reflect the robust financial position of the Kingdom, bolstered by continued economic reforms, which helps realize the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 programs. The Cabinet commended the Kingdom for having acted with the highest level of responsibility, seriousness and innovation to face the COVID-19 pandemic, which reflects its keenness to secure the safety of the population and to become a global model in dealing with pandemics. The Cabinet authorized the minister of foreign affairs to discuss with the Chinese side a draft attached protocol to the agreement regarding the formation of the high-level joint committee between the government of Saudi Arabia and the government of China. It authorized the minister of foreign affairs to discuss with the Guyanese side a draft memorandum of understanding regarding political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guyana. The Cabinet authorized the minister of foreign affairs to discuss with the French side a draft memorandum of understanding regarding the formation of the Strategic Partnership Council between the government of Saudi Arabia and the government of the French Republic. It approved a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance of Saudi Arabia and the Committee on Religious Affairs of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan. It authorized the minister of human resources and social development to discuss with the Turkish side a draft memorandum of understanding between the government of Saudi Arabia and the government of Turkiye for cooperation in the field of social services. The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of tourism between the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy/Tourism and Creative Economy Agency of Indonesia. It approved an administrative agreement between Saudi Arabia, represented by the Saudi Data and AI Authority, and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association regarding the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for the Digital Development Partnership. It authorized the minister of energy, chairman of the board of directors of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy to discuss with the Uzbek side a draft framework agreement for cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of atomic energy between the government of Saudi Arabia and the government of Uzbekistan. The Cabinet authorized the minister of education, chairman of the board of directors of the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) to discuss with the Pakistani side a draft memorandum of understanding in the field of technical and vocational training between the TVTC of Saudi Arabia and the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission of Pakistan. It approved a memorandum of understanding between the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Somalia in the field of preventing and combating corruption. It approved a memorandum of understanding between the Human Rights Commission of Saudi Arabia and the National Center for Human Rights of Uzbekistan. The Cabinet approved the National Strategy for the Red Sea Sustainability and authorized the foreign minister to hold talks within the framework of the Council of Arab and African Countries of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden regarding the draft regional strategy for the sustainability of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. It approved an establishment of a program called "Sakha program for supporting the society through adopting sustainable development projects." It also approved, in principle, the establishment of comprehensive infrastructure for radio surveillance of satellites to cover the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. — SPA
