Saudi Gazette Report

JEDDAH — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has underscored the need to provide the best possible facilities and the finest services for the Hajj pilgrims so as to enable them perform their rituals in ease and comfort.

Chairing the weekly session of the Council of Ministers in Jeddah on Tuesday, the King welcomed the pilgrims, who started arriving in the Kingdom from all over the world, to perform the annual pilgrimage. He emphasized that serving the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, as well as taking care of their visitors, and ensuring their comfort are the top priorities and concerns for the Kingdom.

King Salman instructed the Saudi authorities involved in implementing the government’s Hajj plans to continue providing the best facilities and the finest services to the pilgrims at the Kingdom's various entry points as well as in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, and the Holy Sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah. He prayed that Almighty God may grant everyone success in carrying out this great and solemn task in the best possible manner.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosary said that the Cabinet was apprised of the recent talks held by the Saudi officials with representatives of various countries, including a phone call between Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during which they reviewed bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern.

The Cabinet discussed a series of reports on current developments on the regional and international arenas, and emphasized the Kingdom’s commitment to collaborating with the international community to ensure global security and stability. “The Kingdom is dedicated to cooperating and participating in international relief efforts, and to advocating for the issues of concern to the Arab and other Muslim nations,” the Cabinet noted while welcoming the recent UN General Assembly resolution supporting full membership for the State of Palestine. It stressed the urgency of ending Israeli military escalation and the violations against Palestinian civilians and humanitarian workers.

The Cabinet authorized minister of interior or his deputy to discuss and sign with the American Department of Justice a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) to exchange information on criminal records. It approved agreements between Saudi Arabia and Costa Rica regarding mutual exemptions from short-term visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, special, and official passports, and the Republic of Malta for holders of diplomatic and special passports.

The Council approved a MoU between the Saudi Ministry of Finance and the Bahraini Ministry of Finance and National Economy. It authorized minister of industry and mineral resources or his deputy to discuss and sign an MoU for cooperation with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam.

The Cabinet authorized minister of health or his deputy to discuss and sign with the Iraqi Ministry of Health an MoU for cooperation in the field of health. It authorized minister of education or his deputy to discuss and sign with the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science a draft memorandum of scientific and educational cooperation in education.

The Council approved Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University’s membership in the League of Islamic Universities and its Executive Council. It also endorsed an agreement between Saudi Arabia and the Slovak Republic for the avoidance of double taxation on income and the prevention of tax evasion.

The Cabinet authorized minister of transport and chairman of the board of directors of the General Authority of Civil Aviation or his deputy to sign a draft agreement between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Suriname in the field of air transport services. It authorized president of the Saudi Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority or his deputy to discuss and sign with the Federal Integrity Commission of Iraq a draft MoU to prevent and combat corruption. The Cabinet approved another MoU between the Saudi General Court of Audit and the National Audit Office of China for cooperation in the field of accounting, supervisory, and professional work.

The Cabinet approved amending Article 3 of the organization of the National Authority for the Implementation of Chemical and Biological Weapons Conventions, and that the Authority’s Council will be headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs while representatives of a number of agencies will be its members.

The Council also endorsed that the Real Estate General Authority may allocate state real estate for the benefit of the non-profit sector in accordance with controls approved by the authority’s Board of Directors.