JEDDAH — The Cabinet, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on Tuesday afternoon at Al-Salam Palace here, applauded Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s announcement regarding the launch of the infrastructure works and the master plan for the Rua Al Madinah Project in the area east of the Prophet’s Holy Mosque.

The project is in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 for raising the capacity for hosting 30 million Umrah performers by 2030 and improving the services provided in Madinah as a modern Islamic and cultural destination.

At the outset of the session, the Cabinet touched upon the overall accomplishments of the state to serve and care for the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors.

The Cabinet also spoke about Saudi Arabia’s efforts in this regard to complete major projects in Makkah, the Holy Sites and Madinah, to facilitate Muslims’ performance of rituals and provide more services for them during Hajj, Umrah as well as their visit to the Prophet’s Mosque.

The Cabinet also addressed the recent works related to Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy and the content of the letter received by the Crown Prince from the Sri Lanka president, concerning bilateral relations and ways to support and enhance them in various fields.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Minister of State, Cabinet's Member for Shoura Council Affairs and Acting Minister of Media Dr. Essam Bin Saad Bin Saeed said that the Cabinet reviewed a number of issues and developments in the region and the world.

With regard to domestic affairs, the Cabinet, on the occasion of the start of the new academic year, emphasized the state’s keenness and interest in continuing to work on developing the educational process and raising education outcomes in line with successful and best global practices, national development goals, the Human Capability Development Program and Saudi Vision 2030.

The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Morocco in the renewable energy field. It also approved the Arab Convention for the Prevention and Combating of Human Reproduction and approved a memorandum of understanding in the tourist field between the Saudi Ministry of Tourism and Jamaican Ministry of Tourism.

It authorized the minister of foreign affairs to hold talks with the Seychelles regarding a draft general agreement for cooperation between the government of Saudi Arabia and the government of Seychelles. It also authorized the Minister of Investment to hold talks with the Colombian side regarding a draft memorandum of understanding between the government of Saudi Arabia and the government of Colombia for cooperation in encouraging direct investment.

The Cabinet approved Saudi Arabia to join an agreement regarding the establishment of the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation. It also approved a memorandum of understanding between Saudi Arabia — National Anti-Corruption Commission — and the State of Kuwait — Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), regarding enhancing and coordinating bilateral cooperation in the fields of banning and controlling corruption.

It approved two memorandums of understanding between the National Anti-corruption Commission in Saudi Arabia and each of the Ministry of Interior in Bahrain and the National Authority for Probity, Prevention and the Fight against Corruption (INPPLC) in Morocco in the field of banning and combating corruption.

The Cabinet added an item numbered (56 repeated) to the Mining Investment Bylaw stipulating the fining of any party, which has not received a license, that uses residues for the purpose of selling or digging for searching minerals under the category (A) with an imprisonment term of no more than (two years) and a fine of no more than (one million) or both penalties. — SPA