The Cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman in Jeddah Tuesday, gave its blessing to the launch of the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC's) Vision for Regional Security, which aims to maintain stability in the region, promote prosperity of its member states and their citizens, and contribute to international peace and security. The Crown Prince expressed gratitude to Allah Almighty for enabling Saudi Arabia to successfully host millions of Umrah performers and worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan. The Crown Prince acknowledged their ability to perform their rituals with ease and reassurance, attributing this success to Allah's grace, first, and to the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, second. He also recognized the combined efforts of state agencies that served the guests of Allah with the highest levels of care and quality. The Crown Prince briefed the Cabinet on the content of a message he received from the Ethiopian prime minister, which focused on strengthening bilateral relations and exploring avenues for cooperation in various fields. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, Minister of Media Salman Bin Yousef Al-Dossary indicated that the Cabinet's discussions also focused on fostering cooperation and coordination between the Kingdom and various countries working with regional and international organizations to drive collective action towards achieving stability and prosperity, while supporting the objectives of sustainable development. The Cabinet saw Saudi Arabia's selection to chair the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in 2025 as testament to the Kingdom's commitment to international cooperation on issues related to women's rights and empowerment, building upon its achievements in this area. Domestically, the Cabinet reviewed the outcomes of the 31st annual meeting of the governors of the regions. The Cabinet highlighted the state's dedication to fostering comprehensive development across all parts of the Kingdom. This commitment encompasses continued improvement of services provided to citizens and residents, ultimately aiming to enhance their quality of life. The Cabinet acknowledged the state's successful efforts in creating job opportunities, training programs, and qualification initiatives for young Saudis. These measures have contributed to a record-low national unemployment rate, with figures reaching 7.7% for Saudi citizens in Q4 of 2023. The Cabinet reaffirmed the Kingdom's commitment to the preservation and restoration of historical sites to achieve Vision 2030 goals and showcase the country's rich Arab and Islamic heritage. The Cabinet commended the completion of a project to support and protect 56 buildings at risk of collapse within the Jeddah Historic District. The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding concerning political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Relations. It approved two memoranda of understanding between the Saudi Ministry of Justice, the North Macedonian Ministry of Justice, and the Comorian Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs, Public Administration and Human Rights. The Cabinet authorized the minister of investment to discuss and sign with the San Marino side a draft memorandum of understanding between the government of Saudi Arabia and the government of San Marino to cooperate in encouraging direct investment. It authorized the minister of economy and planning to discuss and sign with the Serbian side a draft economic cooperation agreement between the government of Saudi Arabia and the government of Serbia. The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding between the government of Saudi Arabia and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for cooperation in public policy. It approved a memorandum of understanding in the field of nuclear safety and radiation protection between the Saudi Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission and the Iraqi Radioactive Sources Regulatory Authority. The Cabinet approved two agreements between Saudi Arabia and the governments of Barbados and the Republic of Mali in the field of air transport services. It approved a memorandum of understanding between the General Authority for Statistics of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Information and eGovernment Authority of the Kingdom of Bahrain regarding cooperation in statistics. The Cabinet authorized the president of the State Security to hold talks with the Pakistani side and sign a draft MoU between the Presidency of State Security of Saudi Arabia and the Military Intelligence of Pakistan in the field of combating terrorism and its financing. It authorized the minister of environment, water, and agriculture, chairman of the board of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) to hold talks with the Korean side and sign a draft MoU between the SWCC and the Korea Maritime and Ocean University in the Republic of Korea in the field of seawater desalination. The Cabinet said the state assumes the costs on behalf of individuals permitted to stay and rectify their status among the displaced from neighboring countries. This includes residence fees, work permit fees, service transfer fees, profession amendment fees, and fees for private sector facilities for a period of four years from the date of correction. Additionally, the state covers all previously incurred fees mentioned earlier and previous fines related to residency regulation violations for both the individuals and their companions. — SPA
