Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, chaired a cabinet's session held today at Al-Yamamah palace in Riyadh.
During the session, the cabinet reviewed a number of reports on latest developments at regional and international arenas, expressing the Kingdom's condemnation of air raids launched by Israeli forces on the Gaza Strip, which resulted in killing and injuring dozens of civilians, in violation of the international law, humanitarian principles and international conventions, reiterating the Kingdom's call on the international community to hold its responsibilities towards providing international protection for the Palestinian people and confronting Israeli policies that violate the international law.
The cabinet welcomed the international consensus to vote on the decision to renew the mandate of The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for three years, considering it a global commitment and agreement to support the rights of the Palestinian people and the rights of refugees to return to their land, noting in this regard that the Kingdom is the largest donor to UNRWA, where the programs from 2000 to 2019 received approximately $ 900 million from the Kingdom, and the total assistance provided to Palestine was roughly $ 7 billion during the same period, in addition to a donation in September 2019 to UNRWA of $ 50 million.
Minister of Media, Turki bin Abdullah Al-Shabanah, said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency that the Cabinet pointed to the Kingdom's affirmation at the meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris, of its commitment with other countries in the region on the agenda of 2030 UNESCO, through the fourth goal of sustainable development in education, and its response to the three policy priorities in the Arab region, as well as the Kingdom's emphasis on the importance of strengthening science, culture and arts to contribute to the dissemination of dialogue and communication among nations, to ensure working with UNESCO in harmony in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to address the artificial intelligence.
The cabinet welcomed the agreement on the establishment of the Constitutional Committee in Syria and the commencement of its work, expressing its hope that this would help efforts being exerted to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis that fulfills the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people.
Regarding current events in Myanmar and to what Rohingya Muslims have been subjected, the Cabinet referred to the resolution submitted by the Kingdom, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the European Union on the human rights situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar, including calling on the Myanmar leadership to fulfill its political and humanitarian responsibility towards minorities, in addition to supporting its people by embracing all its citizens without discrimination or favoritism.
The minister of media pointed to the kingdom's role at regional and international levels and its efforts in preserving international security and peace, including security and safety of sea corridors as well as freedom of international maritime traffic in the straits and strategic water passages. In this regard, the minister highlighted the Saudi International Maritime Patrol Ships Forum titled "Importance of Securing Strategic Seaways" which will be organized by the Saudi Royal Navy during 24-26 November 2019, in Riyadh.
The cabinet condemned the highjacking and armed robbery against tugboat (Rabigh 3) by terrorist elements of the Iran-backed Houthi militia, affirming that such acts reflect true threats and danger of this terrorist militia on the freedom of navigation and international trade. It is a criminal precedent affecting the security of Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, he added.
The cabinet issued the following decisions:
First: the cabinet authorized the Minister of Energy or his deputy to discuss and sign with the South African side a draft memorandum of understanding between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the Republic of South Africa for cooperation in the field of renewable energy.
Second: the cabinet authorized the Minister of Interior or his deputy to discuss and sign with the Burundian side a draft memorandum of understanding in the field of civil defense and civilian protection and a draft cooperation agreement between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the Republic of Burundi.
Third: the cabinet approved accession of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Locarno Agreement on setting up an international Classification for industrial designs.
Fourth: the cabinet authorized the minister of education or his deputy to discuss with the Mozambique side a scientific and educational draft memorandum of understanding between the ministry of education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the ministry of education of Mozambique, sign it and submit the final version, to complete applicable formalities.
Fifth: the cabinet approved an arrangement between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the French Republic on the cultural, ecological, touristy, human, economic and folkloric development for Al-Ula governorate, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Sixth: the cabinet decided to establish a program to guarantee funding of small and medium size enterprises, to be overseen by the Small and Medium Size Enterprises General Authority.
Seventh: the cabinet authorized that the cement irrigation canals seen in roads and campuses of the Saudi Irrigation Organization (SIO) and modern irrigation routes located underground as well as earth-made drainage canals, and campuses of artesian wells and inter-farm roads adjacent to irrigation and drainage canals affiliated to the SIO which are under its supervision, shall be considered part of the State's public utilities and, thus, entertaining the public utilities system's protection.
Eighth: the cabinet approved promotions to the 15th and 14th ranks as follows:
1- Prince Mishaal bin Mishary bin Saud bin Farhan Al Saud is promoted to the post of Advisor (15th rank) at the Ministry of Interior.
2- Majid bin Abdulaziz bin Ibrahim Al-Hussein to the post of Deputy Chairman of the National Data Management Office (15th rank) at the National Data Management Office.
3- Mazen bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Battal to the post of Security Advisor (14th rank) at the Ministry of Interior.
4- Salem bin Masoud bin Hassan Al Khuraim to the post of Director General of Administrative and Financial Affairs (14th rank) at Najran Region governorate.
5- Zaid bin Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Zamami to the post of Director General of Information Technology Department (14th rank) at the General Presidency for Religious Research and Ifta.
The cabinet was briefed on a number of general issues on its agenda, including two annual reports affiliated to the Ministry of National Guard, and Information Technology Commission for a previous fiscal year. The Cabinet issued relevant instructions.