Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — The Council of Ministers on Tuesday urged the international community to take firm measures to ensure the safety of navigation in regional waterways in the wake of the recent attacks on oil tankers.

The weekly session of the Cabinet, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, reiterated the Kingdom’s condemnation of all aggressive and terrorist acts that threaten the freedom of navigation, the security of oil supplies and the safety of the environment.

Minister of Media Turki Al-Shabanah said in a statement to Saudi Press Agency following the session that the Cabinet called on the international community to shoulder its responsibility and take decisive action to ensure security of navigation in the regional waterways in view of serious repercussions on energy markets and global economy from such incidents.

He said the Cabinet discussed the latest developments and condemned the terrorist and immoral acts and practices carried out by the Iran-backed Houthi militias to target civilians and civilian facilities, the latest of which was a projectile that targeted the arrivals lounge of Abha International Airport and drones launched toward the same airport and Khamis Mushayt governorate.

Al-Shabanah said the Cabinet approved implementing the guidelines for uniform health procedures at border posts of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states by entrusting the Ministry of Health to be the reference authority for all the agencies concerned with regard to its implementation.