His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the cabinet session held Tuesday at Al-Salam palace in Jeddah.
The cabinet was briefed on the recent meeting HRH the crown prince held with the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, during which they reviewed bilateral relations and prospects for strengthening cooperation between the two countries in various fields.
The cabinet was also briefed on the recent talks between Saudi officials and their counterparts in several countries as part of the kingdom's keenness to strengthen ties of friendship and build bridges of cooperation with the international community in a way that contributes to the development, progress, and prosperity of all countries.
In this regard, the cabinet reiterated the Kingdom's position during the ministerial meeting of BRICS friends, held in the Republic of South Africa, aiming to continue efforts with international partners to achieve the sustainable development goals by 2030, and to spur global endeavors to enhance food and energy security.
In a statement to the Saudi press agency (SPA) following the meeting, Minister of Media Salman bin Yousef Al-Dosari said that the cabinet commended the agreement reached at the 35th ministerial meeting of the OPEC Plus countries regarding the level of production for the year 2024 and the announcement of voluntary cuts initiated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to increase precautionary efforts aimed at supporting the stability and balance of oil markets.
The cabinet stressed that the success of the Saudi astronauts' scientific mission is due to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's endeavor to boost its role in space and technologies related to it, with a view to empowering mankind, protecting the planet, and opening new possibilities through science, research, and innovation in this field.
The cabinet also stressed the country's desire to boost the level of services provided to citizens, including ensuring the sustainability of water sources by launching many projects in this vital sector in order to provide high-quality water and efficient supply and services. Part of this effort is the Jubail Desalination Plant Project (3A), the newest and the largest of its kind worldwide.
The minister said that the cabinet reviewed the comprehensive data provided by the 2022 General Population and Housing Census, which will be a fundamental pillar for planning, development, decision-making, and economic and social policy making in a way that contributes to achieving the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 and prepares the country for a better future.
The cabinet was briefed on several issues on its agenda and issued the following decisions:
First: Authorizing the minister of energy – or a deputy – to hold talks with the Kazakhstani side regarding a draft memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Second: Authorizing the minister of finance – or a deputy – to hold talks with the ministries of finance of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regarding a draft memorandum of understanding in the financial field between the Ministry of Finance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the ministries of Finance of the GGC member states.
Third: Authorizing the minister of investment - or a deputy – to hold talks with officials from the Republic of Benin regarding a draft memorandum of understanding between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the Republic of Benin on encouraging direct investments.
Fourth: Authorizing the minister of investment – or a deputy – to hold talks with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) regarding a draft memorandum of understanding between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and UNCTAD.
Fifth: Authorizing the minister of education - or a deputy - to discuss with the Qatari side a draft educational cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of the State of Qatar in the field of dispatching Saudi teachers and educational supervisors.
Sixth: Authorizing the chairman of the board of directors of the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission (NRCC) - or a deputy - to discuss with the Yemeni side a draft memorandum of understanding in the field of nuclear safety and radiation protection between the NRCC of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the National Atomic Energy Commission in the Republic of Yemen.
Seven: Authorizing the minister of media and chairman of the board of directors of the General Commission for Audiovisual Media (GCAM) - or a deputy - to discuss with the Hellenic (Greek) side a draft memorandum of understanding between the GCAM of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the National Centre of Audiovisual Media and Communication of the Hellenic Republic for cooperation in the field of audiovisual media.
Eighth: Authorizing the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) Governor – or a deputy – to discuss with the Hong Kong side a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SAMA of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Monetary Authority of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China for cooperation in the field of financial innovation.
Ninth: Approving a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the General Department of the Saudi Arabia Financial Investigations Unit (SAFIU) of the presidency of state security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Financial Investigation Directorate at the Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the field of exchanging information related to combating money-laundering and its associated predicate crimes, and terrorist financing.
Tenth: Approving a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the General Department of the Saudi Arabia Financial Investigations Unit (SAFIU) of the Presidency of State Security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Financial Investigation Unit of the Republic of Kosovo regarding cooperation in exchanging investigations related to money-laundering, terrorist financing, and related crimes.
Eleventh: Transferring the competencies of designing, constructing, developing, operating, and maintaining dams in all regions of the Kingdom from the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture to the Saudi Irrigation Organization (SIO).
Twelfth: Approving the amendment of the accredited evaluator system, issued by Royal Decree No. (M/43) dated 7/9/1433 AH, as stated in the decision.
Thirteenth: Renewing the membership of Dr. Badr bin Hudaydh Al-Harbi, and appointing Dr. Lamia bint Fouad Daghestani and Eng. Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Arfaj as two members in the Board of Directors of the National Center for Meteorology of specialists and experts in the Center.
Fourteenth: Approving a number of promotions at 15th and 14th ranks.