RIYADH — The Cabinet session, chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday, welcomed Saudi Arabia's hosting of the 2026 Gulf-European Summit. The Council of Ministers expressed its aspiration that the summit would be an additional boost to bolstering bilateral relations between the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union. "This is in light of the success of the Vision of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to enhance joint Gulf move to forge strategic international partnerships with other blocs," the Cabinet noted. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said that the Cabinet discussed the overall participation of the Crown Prince in the Gulf-European Summit held in Brussels, capital of Belgium, and the productive and fruitful meetings held to expand the scope of joint, regional and international cooperation. The Council hailed the accession of 11 countries to the Middle East Green Initiative. It expressed hope that more countries will join the initiative so as to contribute to achieving the ambitious goals of this initiative launched by Crown Prince to be a global model for combating climate change. The Cabinet emphasized that the Kingdom's hosting of the 27th World Energy Congress in 2026 is an embodiment of its prominent role in the energy sector, as well as its continued leadership in achieving energy transformations, and its adoption of pioneering initiatives in this field to reach a more prosperous and sustainable future locally and globally. The Cabinet commended the decisions of the 35th session of the Council of Arab Environment Ministers to activate joint work mechanisms, including granting Riyadh the title of the Arab Environment Capital for two years, and crowning the Saudi Green Initiative with the Environmental Excellence Award at the government sector level. At the outset of the session, the Crown Prince informed the Cabinet about the message sent by King Salman to President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia, and briefed it on the content of his meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan, which focused on expressing unwavering support for Palestine and Lebanon, and continuing to provide humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of the people there. The Crown Prince also briefed the Cabinet on his official visit to Egypt, including his discussions with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, in which the strong bilateral relations and the shared commitment to enhance cooperation were highlighted. The Cabinet expressed confidence that the newly formed Saudi-Egyptian Supreme Coordination Council, led by the Crown Prince and El-Sisi, and the investment protection agreement reached by the two sides, will significantly strengthen relations and expand cooperation to mutual benefit. The Cabinet also reviewed the developments and events in the region, as well as the international efforts being exerted to address them. The session expressed appreciation for the support and endorsement of the Kingdom's proposal to hold a joint Arab-Islamic follow-up summit in Riyadh. The Cabinet expressed hope that the summit will result in decisions that help stop Israeli aggression and protect the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. The Cabinet expressed support for the joint statement issued by the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan Group, and reaffirmed the Kingdom's steadfast commitment to preserving the security, safety, and stability of Sudan, and supporting its efforts to address the developments and repercussions of the current crisis. The Cabinet expressed appreciation for the efforts exerted by the Ministry of Interior to apprehend drug smugglers and dealers, and acknowledged the achievements made so far in tackling this scourge. The most recent success was the discovery and dismantling of a criminal network involved in smuggling and dealing drugs in the Riyadh region, as efforts continue, at international level, to thwart smuggling attempts in coordination with counterparts and specialized agencies in friendly countries. Al-Dossary said the Cabinet approved the establishment of a college of medical sciences in the Jeddah governorate. It authorized minister of foreign affairs or his deputy to discuss and sign with the Canadian side a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) on political consultations between the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Global Affairs Canada, and minister of investment or his deputy to discuss and sign with the Estonian side a draft MoU between the Saudi government and Estonian government for cooperation in promoting direct investment. The Cabinet approved a MoU between the Saudi National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Independent Commission Against Corruption of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China in the field of preventing and combating corruption. It authorized chairman of the board of directors of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) or his deputy to discuss and sign with the Kuwaiti side a draft MoU between the Saudi ETEC and Kuwait University for cooperation in the field of measurement, evaluation, and accreditation. The Council approved a MoU between the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property and the World Intellectual Property Organization for the establishment of a trust fund for development projects in the intellectual property field, in addition to granting approval to the Saudi Institute of Internal Auditors to discuss and sign with the Australian Institute of Internal Auditors a draft MoU for cooperation in internal auditing, governance and compliance.
