Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH – The Cabinet, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman here on Tuesday, approved the structure and regulatory guide for the Ministry of Finance.

The Cabinet was also briefed on the content of the two written messages received by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince and Prime Minister from the president of Belarus on bilateral relations and ways to enhance them in various fields.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency after the session, Minister of Media Salman Bin Yousef Al-Dosari said that the Cabinet followed up on regional and international developments, with focus on developments in the Palestinian territories.

It expressed its categorical rejection of the Israeli statements about displacing the population of Gaza, reoccupying Gaza Strip and building settlements.

The Cabinet also stressed that it is important for the international community to take unified action to activate mechanisms by which the Israeli government is held accountable for its continued violation of international legitimacy and humanitarian law.

The Cabinet renewed the Kingdom’s keenness to support efforts aimed at enhancing the stability of oil markets, and praised OPEC countries' and non-OPEC oil-producing countries' recent statement in which they re-affirm the full commitment of the countries participating in the Declaration of Cooperation, signed on Dec. 10, 2016, to unity, cohesion, and continued and unwavering efforts to maintain the stability of oil market.

The Cabinet reviewed indicators of development of main sectors, and ways of maximizing their role and increasing their contribution to the gross domestic product, in line with the goals of Vision 2030 for a bright future and sustainable development.

The Cabinet authorized the minister of environment, water and agriculture to discuss and sign a draft memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus for cooperation in the agricultural field.

It approved a memorandum of understanding for cooperation between the Saudi Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Mauritius.

The Cabinet authorized the minister of investment to discuss and sign a draft memorandum of understanding with the Canadian side to promote direct investment.

It approved memoranda of understanding between the Saudi Ministry of Investment and the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy of the Republic of Italy, and the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Chile to promote direct investment.

The Cabinet authorized the minister of economy and planning to discuss and sign a draft memorandum of understanding with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for cooperation in the field of public policies.

It authorized the minister of finance and chairman of the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) to sign an agreement with the government of the Sultanate of Oman to prevent double taxation on income taxes, and to prevent tax evasion.

The Cabinet authorized the minister of industry and mineral resources and chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Geological Survey to discuss and sign a draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation with the Geological Survey of Finland.

It approved the air services agreement between the government of Saudi Arabia and the government of Poland.

The Cabinet authorized the minister of economy and planning, chairman of the board of directors of the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) to discuss and sign a draft memorandum of understanding with Statistics Estonia (SE) for cooperation in the field of statistics.

It approved a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) and the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States) to cooperate in the field of training and education.

The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Saline Water Conversion Corporation and the National Institute of Ocean Technology of India to cooperate in the field of seawater desalination.

It approved a memorandum of understanding between the Family Affairs Council of Saudi Arabia and the General Women’s Union of the United Arab Emirates to cooperate in the field of women’s affairs.