The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired a Cabinet meeting in the city of Tabuk on Tuesday afternoon. The meeting began with a briefing by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on the contents of the message he sent to Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait, as well as the outcomes of his talks with President Barham Salih of the Republic of Iraq during which the relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them in various fields were discussed. The latest developments in the region were also reviewed. The Cabinet stressed the valuable contents of the Royal speech of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques as he inaugurated the works of the third year of the seventh session of the Shura Council, citing the pillars of the Kingdom's internal and external policy, its pride in the comprehensive development of the country in line with plans and programs of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. The Royal speech also asserted the enhancement and empowerment of the private sector's role in its capacity as an active partner in development, confirming the financial policies, including balancing expenditure control and uplifting its efficiency and supporting economic growth and assuming its leading and developmental role in the region. The King also stated that Saudi Arabia was founded on Islamic principles of justice and, as such, the King expressed his pride in the efforts exerted by the judiciary and the Public Prosecution in shouldering the great job entrusted to them. In this regard, the Kingdom will never deviate from applying Allah's law and will not waive that right regardless of criticism, the King added. Also included in the Royal speech is a reference to the Kingdom's firm stance in light of current Arab, Islamic and international issues and its interest in strategic partnerships with friendly countries on the bases of common benefits, mutual respect and contribution to the enhancement and growth of the world economy. The Minister of Media, Dr. Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad,said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the meeting that the Cabinet expressed gratitude to all friendly countries, organizations and commissions who welcomed the statement issued by the Public Prosecution on the results of investigations and procedures taken in the case of the late Jamal Khashoggi, rejecting the politicization of this humanitarian case. The case has been referred by the Public Prosecutor to the Saudi judiciary for consideration and issuance of verdicts against the accused. This process confirms the State's intense interest in treating its citizens' souls in accordance with the Kingdom's deep-rooted approach derived from the provisions of the divine canons of Sharia and the principle of achievement of justice. The Cabinet discussed a joint statement issued by senior officials and ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and the United Kingdom, following their meeting in Riyadh. They reviewed the steps to support the economy and stability of Yemen, in addition to the emergency measures to address the economic and humanitarian situation in the country. The Cabinet reaffirmed the Kingdom's support to humanitarian work in Yemen. The Kingdom and the UAE pledged to provide $500 million to alleviate hunger in Yemen, apart from pledging support to other kinds of humanitarian work through King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief). Dr. Al-Awwad said that the Cabinet referred to the Kingdom's statement over its firm stand on the Palestinian cause during the emergency meeting of the of permanent representatives of Arab League Council in Cairo, denouncing Israeli violations in Gaza. The outcome of the Cabinet meeting was as follows: The Cabinet authorised the Minister of Interior or his deputy to discuss and sign with the Vietnamese side a draft security-cooperation agreement between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Vietnam and submit the final version to complete legal procedures. The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on political consultations between the Saudi and Swedish ministries of foreign affairs. The Cabinet approved an MoU between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Turkey on housing. The Cabinet approved an agreement between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Djibouti in the field of the air-transport services. The Cabinet approved the proposal that the Ministry of Housing, in coordination with other government agencies, will register their real-estate leasing contracts through an electronic network based on monthly payments. The Cabinet accredited the final account of the University of Najran for a previous fiscal year. The Cabinet approved the organizational arrangements for the Quality of Life Program Center. It approved promotions of the following individuals at the 15th and 14th ranks: 1. Mughaddi bin Musfer bin Mughaddi Al-Wadai to the post of Undersecretary for Security Affairs (15th rank) at AsirRegion Principality 2. Saeed bin Abdullah bin Ali Al Hamoud to the post of Assistant Undersecretary for Development Affairs (14th rank) at Najran Region Principality 3. Abdullah bin Ibrahim bin Mohammed Al-Yahya to the post of Head of Notary (14th rank) at the Ministry of Justice The Cabinet was briefed on a number of general issues on its agenda, including the annual reports of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy and the Saudi Industrial Development Fund for the previous fiscal year. The cabinet issued its directives in this regard.
