Saudi Gazette report

Jeddah — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman directed on Tuesday that pilgrims arriving in the Kingdom for this year’s Haj should be provided the best services and all facilities.

Chairing the weekly session of the Council of Ministers at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, the King welcomed pilgrims arriving from all corners of the world to perform Haj.

The King directed the government and private sector agencies involved in Haj services to double their efforts to provide the best facilities to the Guests of Allah from the time they arrive in the Kingdom, during their stay in Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites till their departure after Haj.

Minister of the Media Dr. Awwad Al-Awwad said that the Cabinet appreciated the role of the UN and its agencies in mitigating the pain and preventing the displacement of children caused by conflicts in different parts of the world.

It reaffirmed the Kingdom’s support for all the necessary measures and precautions taken to protect children and prevent the loss of lives of innocent civilians.

In this connection the Cabinet stressed the Kingdom’s call to the UN Security Council to condemn the actions of the Iranian-backed Houthi militias who recruit children and send them to the battlefields, using them as human shields and fire missiles from launch pads in civilian neighborhoods.

This is a flagrant and blatant violation of international laws and humanitarian values, the Cabinet said.

It reiterated the Kingdom’s rejection and its condemnation of the adoption by the Israeli Knesset of the so-called “national state of the Jewish people law,” which contravenes the provisions of international law, the principles of international legitimacy and human rights.

This move thwarts international efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Cabinet said.

It urged the international community to reject this law and all Israeli attempts at racial discrimination against the Palestinian people aimed at obliterating their national identity.

The Cabinet welcomed the statements made by the finance ministers and central bank governors of the G20 countries after their meeting in Buenos Aires on July 21-22, 2018, to support balanced, strong, sustainable and comprehensive growth.

It expressed its appreciation for the signing of the minutes of the establishment of a coordination council between the Kingdom and Kuwait, reaffirming the close ties between the two countries.

It approved the mechanism regarding the procedures for signing the protocol of the agreement adopted by the World Trade Organization with countries seeking accession to it.