The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet's session in Riyadh on Tuesday afternoon.
At the outset of the session, the King briefed the Cabinet on the results of his meetings with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates; British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and the Special Envoy of British Prime Minister Simon McDonald, and their discussion of bilateral relations and areas of cooperation.
The Minister of Media Dr. Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session that the Cabinet appreciated the visit paid by The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the two regions of Qassim and Hail and attending citizens' celebrations as well as his inauguration and laying the cornerstone of a number of development projects. These events reflect the King's permanent interest and directives to provide services for all homeland's citizens and embody the great support being provided for the Kingdom's various regions for contributing to the achievement of further growth, progress and development.
The Cabinet also commended the King's directive to release prisoners and the insolvent in the regions of Qassim and Hail and pay their debts, considering it as an extension of his generous gestures for the care of the insolvent and limited-income citizens to enjoy this prosperous homeland.
The Cabinet reviewed the Kingdom's ongoing support for the Palestinian
cause at all levels, pointing in this regard to the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD)'s transfer of the Kingdom's financial contribution to support the Palestinian Authority's budget for the months of August, September and October 2018, including the additional contribution totaling $ 60 million.
The Cabinet reiterated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's strong condemnation and denunciation of the bombing that took place in Mosul, northern Iraq; the suicide attacks in the Somali capital of Mogadishu and Afghani capital of Kabul; and the stabbing incident in the city of Melbourne, Australia, confirming the Kingdom's rejection of all manifestations of violence, terrorism and extremism and its standing with the governments of those sisterly and friendly countries regarding the measures they take to protect their security and stability, offering condolences to the families of the dead, and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
The Cabinet reviewed a number of scientific and cultural activities, stressing that the patronage of the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques of the honoring ceremony of winners of the 8th King Khalid Award is considered an expression of his ongoing support for the prize to achieve its humanitarian, social and developmental goals and continue its efforts.
Dr. Al-Awwad said that the Cabinet issued the following decisions at the end of the session:
First:
The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture or his deputy to discuss and sign with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) a draft agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the IFAD on establishing an office for relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Member States and forward the final version for completion of further legal procedures.
Second:
The Cabinet approved an agreement of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Federal Republic of Tanzania in the field of air transport services.
Third:
The Cabinet approved two protocols between the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) and each of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Culture of the Republic of France for cooperation in the fields of tourism and heritage.
Fourth:
The Cabinet authorized the President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, or his deputy, to sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation, in the domain of tourism between the commission and the Governmental Committee to Promote Tourism, in the Republic of Uzbekistan and forward the finally signed version, to complete applicable procedures.
Fifth:
The Cabinet decided to cancel the item (Fifth) of the (Fifth) article of the Financing Companies Supervision Regulation.
Sixth:
The Cabinet appointed Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Iqaili, Ahmed bin Abdulqadir Shaiba Al-Hamad, Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh Qhadi, Dr. Tawfiq bin Abdulmohsen Al-Khaiyal, Dr. Sarhan bin Abdullah Al-Shammari, Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Dossari, Dr. Issam bin Saad Al-Ghamdi, Dr. Zaid bin Abdulaziz Al-Shithri and Dr. Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Odhaib as members of the board of directors of the General Commission for the Guardianship of Trust Funds of Minors and the Likes, for a three-year term.
Seventh:
The Cabinet appointed Dr. Abdulaziz bin Yousef Al-Babtain; Khalid bin Awwad Al-Thibaiti and Dr. Abdullah bin Hasan Alabdulqader as private sector representatives in the board of directors of the Public Transport Commission for a three-year term.
Eighth:
The Cabinet formed a national nutrition committee, to serve as a scientific advisory arm of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) under the title "National Nutrition Committee". The committee submits its recommendations and opinions in the field of nutrition to the relevant authorities in order to improve the nutritional and health situation in the Kingdom aiming to build a further healthy society.
Ninth:
The Cabinet approved a number of promotions and appointments as follows:
1- Eng. Mohammed bin Nasser bin Abdullah Al Rajhi is promoted to the position of advisor for technical affairs (15th rank) at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.
2- Ali bin Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Suhaimi is promoted to the position of director of hospital administration (14th rank) at the Ministry of Interior's Medical Services.
3- Nasser bin Bakheet bin Mohammed Al-Medrae is promoted to the position of legal adviser (14th rank) at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.
4- Dr. Mohammed bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Ghamdi is appointed as the Kingdom's permanent representative to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (14th rank) at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
The Cabinet was briefed on a number of general topics on its agenda, including annual reports of King Khalid Eye Specialist Hospital; Public Transportation Authority; General Sports Authority and General Organization of Saudi Arabian Airlines for a previous fiscal year, and issued its directives in this regard.