The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Prime Minister, chaired the Cabinet's virtual session today. At the outset of the session, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the Cabinet on the content of the letters he had sent to the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council states, concerning the strong relations and ways to support and strengthen these relations. The Cabinet, on the occasion of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's official visits to the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for the Arab States, affirmed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's keenness to communicate with the GCC countries and strengthen brotherly ties for the interest of their peoples and to serve their hopes and aspirations as well as achieve more coordination and integration among them in all fields. Then, the Cabinet addressed the outcomes of the French President's visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, his meeting with HRH the Crown Prince, as well as the agreements and memorandums of understanding that were signed. The two sides stressed the importance of strengthening the bilateral relations to further constructive cooperation and new and promising horizons as well as coordinating stances on issues of common interest to achieve peace and security in the Middle East and the world in general. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Minister of State, Cabinet's Member and Acting Minister of Media Dr. Essam bin Saad bin Saeed said that the Cabinet followed the developments regarding global efforts to confront the Coronavirus pandemic and the efforts being exerted by the concerned authorities to address it at all levels. The Cabinet affirmed that everyone must complete immunization and receive the booster dose as soon as possible, in addition to adhering to precautionary and preventive measures. The Cabinet considered Saudi Arabia's offered medical and preventive aid as well as its support for international efforts to combat the pandemic and reduce its risks in different countries of the world, as an extension of its humanitarian role in supporting friendly countries to confront crises and standing with those affected around the world. The Cabinet condemned the Iran-backed Houthi militia's barbaric, terrorist and irresponsible behavior and attempt to target civilians and civilian objects in a systematic and deliberate manner. The Cabinet reiterated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia takes the necessary and deterrent measures in accordance with international humanitarian law and its customary rules in order to protect its lands, national capabilities, civilians and civilian objects and to stop such cross-border hostile attacks. The Cabinet commended proactive security follow-up of drug traffickers' activities targeting the security and youth of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC), in coordination with the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, contributed to thwarting a large attempt to smuggle more than 30 million Amphetamine pills into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Cabinet was briefed on a number of issues on its agenda and issued the following decisions: First: Authorizing the Minister of Foreign Affairs – or a deputy – to hold talks with the Moldovan side on a draft general agreement on cooperation between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the Republic of Moldova and signing it, prior to referring the final signed copy to proceed with formal procedures. Second: Authorizing the Minister of Culture – or a deputy – to hold talks with the Egyptian side on a draft memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the cultural field between the Ministry of Culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Culture in the Arab Republic of Egypt and signing it, prior to referring the final signed copy to proceed with formal procedures. Third: Authorizing the Minister of Tourism – or a deputy – to hold talks with the Brazilian side on a draft memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Tourism in the Federative Republic of Brazil and signing it, prior to referring the final signed copy to proceed with formal procedures. Fourth: Authorizing the Chairman of Board of Directors of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology – or a deputy – to hold talks with the Kuwaiti side on a draft memorandum of understanding between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the State of Kuwait in the fields of sciences, technology and innovation, and signing it, prior to referring the final signed copy to proceed with formal procedures. Fifth: Extending Paragraph (A) of Item (First) of the Royal Decree No. (M/14) dated on 22/2/1440 Hijri, which reads (Labor cases, prior to be examined by the Labor Court, must be referred to the Labor Office under which the work place is affiliated to proceed with necessary procedures to settle the conflict amicably), for three years starting on 20/2/1443 Hijri. Sixth: Applying the decision of the Financial and Economic Committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council for Arab States – which was made during its 109th meeting – which includes "Accrediting the attached formula of the meeting minutes amending the conditions of exempting industrial inputs from customs taxes (fees)..." Seventh: Appointing Dr. Saadon bin Saad Al-Saadon and Abdullah bin Rashid Al-Khaldi as representatives of private associations, Abdulilah bin Salem bin Mahfouth as representative of private institutions, Saud bin Abdulaziz Al-Juwayyer as representative of cooperative associations, Said bin Ahmad Basamah as representative of the private sector that is concerned with and support the non-profit sector, Princess Haifa bint Abdulaziz Al Mogrin and Eng. Faisal bin Seifiddin Al-Samnoudi as two experts and specialists in the work scope of the center, as members of the board of directors of the National Center for Non-Profit Sector. Eighth: Amending Paragraph (H) of Item (Fifth) of the Private Schools Regulations, issued under a decision by the Cabinet's No. 1006 dated on 13/8/1395 Hijri, with excluding students with disabilities from the categories to be agreed on by the Minister of Education in the elementary stage in girls' schools from the condition for the school to include one of the two sexes only under the conditions stipulated in the decision. Ninth: Approving the final accounts of the Majmaah University, Agricultural Development Fund, and the Saudi Fund for Development for two previous fiscal years. Tenth: Renewing the membership of Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Thnayyan and appointing Dr. Abdulrahman bin Yousef Al-Aali and Majid bin Abdulaziz Al Ibrahim as representatives from the non-investing private sector in the port sector on the board of directors of the Saudi Ports Authority. The Cabinet also reviewed a number of general topics on its agenda and took the necessary measures regarding these topics.
