MAKKAH — Saudi Arabia's Council of Ministers on Tuesday denounced Israeli plans to build thousands of new settlements in occupied West Bank.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chaired the weekly session of the Council at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah Tuesday evening.

At the outset of the meeting, the King thanked the Almighty Allah for making it possible for all Muslims to reach the last 10 nights of Ramadan and for performance of Umrah by about 7 million worshippers who came from all over the world appealing for Allah's forgiveness and mercy in this holy month.

The King then briefed the Cabinet on the outcomes of his meeting with President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, president of Yemen, and President of the Presidential Council of the Libyan National Accord Government Fayez Al-Sarraj.

He wished good luck for the officials who were appointed on Friday in their new positions and thanked the former ministers and senior officials for their efforts.

Information Minister Dr. Awwad Bin Saleh Al-Awwad, said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the meeting that the Cabinet thanked the King for his orders, which showed his keenness on continuing efforts to proceed with development and modernization in various sectors, to push forward the process of development and construction and continue to work diligently for the interest of the homeland and citizens according to the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

The Cabinet stressed that the King's order to establish a royal commission for the city of Makkah and the holy places reflected the interest of the Kingdom and its keenness to continue development of the holiest places on the earth to better serve Muslims who come there from all over the world.

The Cabinet hailed the instructions by the King to the governors of administrative regions to mark their 25th meeting. He advised them to fear Allah the Almighty while instructing them to take care of the interests of citizens and expatriates alike by meeting their needs and making exerting strenuous efforts to fulfill them in a way to achieve the country's comprehensive development and serve the interests of both citizens and expatriates.

Al-Awwad said the Cabinet reviewed a number of reports on the developments of issues in the region and the world at large and expressed the denunciation of the Kingdom of the Israeli plans to build 2,070 new settlements in the occupied West Bank in move that reflected continuous violations by Israel of the Palestinian human rights challenging international legitimacy.

The Cabinet denounced terrorist attacks that took place in the Belgian city of Liege and the Afghan capital Kabul. It extended condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and the governments and peoples of Belgium and Afghanistan.

Al-Awwad said in a series of decisions during Tuesday's meeting, the Cabinet authorized the minister of foreign affairs, or his deputy, to discuss with the Burundian side and sign a draft memorandum of understanding on political consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries and international cooperation.

The Cabinet authorized the minister of information, or his deputy, to discuss with the UAE a draft memorandum of understanding in the field of media cooperation.

The president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage was authorized to discuss with Cyprus a draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the tourism sector.

The chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Sport Authority will discuss with the UAE a draft memorandum of understanding in the field of sports.

The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding between the General Auditing Bureau of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Audit Bureau of the UAE for cooperation in the field of accounting and auditing.

The Cabinet approved the appointment of Abdulaziz Bin Mohammed Al-Subaie, Ayman Bin Abdulghani Hussain and Idruss Bin Hassan Al-Esaei as members representing the private sector in the Board of Directors of the Alimony Fund for a three-year term.

The Cabinet decided to oblige non-governmental-sector project contractors to insure against the hidden defects that may appear in buildings and constructions after being used.

The Cabinet approved the final accounts of the Saudi Grains Organization, Princess Noura Bint Abdulrahman University and Saudi Ports Authority for the previous financial year.

The Cabinet also approved a number of appointments and promotions.

The Cabinet reviewed a number of issues on its agenda, including the annual reports of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Haj and Umrah, Communications and Information Technology Commission, Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, and King Fahd National Library for the previous financial year. — SG/SPA