السعودية لن تتهاون في حماية أمنها والرد الحازم على أي أعمال عدائية

The Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, chaired the session held by the Council of Ministers today in Jeddah.

At the beginning of the session, the Crown Prince briefed the Council of Ministers on the contents of his phone calls with the Emir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Andy Burnham, discussing the developments in regional situations and the efforts made to enhance the security and stability of the region.

On the local front, the Council of Ministers approved in its session yesterday the transfer of digital and operational services directly related to real estate documentation processes, which are an essential part of the integrated real estate system - including its technical infrastructure, operational teams, and data - to the General Authority for Real Estate. This includes: (the real estate exchange platform, the mobile exchange application, the comprehensive system, the data indexing system, the document digitization system, and the basic data entry system), to be completed within (six) months.

Condemnation of Attacks on Oil Facilities in Riyadh and the Eastern Region

The Council condemned in the strongest terms the attacks by Iranian-backed terrorist militias in Yemen and Iraq on oil facilities in the Riyadh and Eastern regions, as well as on commercial ships in the Red Sea. In this context, it affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not tolerate any threats to its security, interests, and national resources, and will respond firmly to any hostile actions, in accordance with the provisions of international humanitarian law and customary rules, and in line with the principle of proportionality.

The Council emphasized the necessity for the Iraqi government to take all necessary measures to ensure that its territory is not used as a launch pad for aggression, appreciating the positions of countries and international organizations that condemned the criminal attacks, which were effectively and competently countered by the Kingdom's air defenses.

De-escalation and Ensuring Security of Waterways

The Minister of Education and Acting Minister of Media, Yusuf bin Abdullah Al-Bunyan, stated in his remarks to the Saudi Press Agency following the session that the Council of Ministers followed the ongoing efforts made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to communicate and consult with brotherly and friendly countries to de-escalate tensions in the region and ensure the security of waterways in the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea, supporting all that contributes to achieving stability at both regional and international levels.

The Council affirmed the Kingdom's commitment to establishing a dialogue and diplomacy approach and enhancing international cooperation, especially in light of the pivotal phase the region is experiencing, which requires the establishment of a regional system based on adherence to the fundamental principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, foremost among them preserving the sovereignty of states, non-interference in their internal affairs, respecting the principles of good neighborliness, ensuring freedom of navigation, and complying with international law.

The General Education System: A Leap for Sector Development

On the local front, the Council of Ministers discussed the overall work of the state, particularly regarding the continuous improvement of the performance of its sectors and agencies and enhancing the services provided to citizens, while continuing to issue regulations and decisions aligned with the desired aspirations. This includes the issuance of the general education system, which will be a leap in the development and governance of this sector, providing the necessary enablers to achieve its objectives, enabling it to improve the quality of the educational environment and its outputs, and organizing the roles of the private and non-profit sectors to achieve the goals of (Saudi Vision 2030).

The Kingdom Ranks First Regionally in "E-Government Services Maturity"

The Council praised the Quality of Life Program for achieving results that exceeded the economic and developmental targets set for its strategic initiatives, thereby continuing its growing role in contributing to the non-oil GDP, developing services in all cities, and pushing the sectors of culture, sports, entertainment, and tourism towards new horizons that enhanced the Kingdom's position as a globally attractive destination.

The Council noted that the Kingdom has ranked first regionally for the fourth consecutive year in the "Maturity of E-Government and Mobile Services" index issued by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), which is considered an extension of the achievements it has made in related international indicators and a reflection of the continuous progress in developing procedures and platforms, adopting emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, and establishing a global model in business practices and the competitiveness of the digital economy.

Decisions:

The Council of Ministers reviewed the topics listed on its agenda, including topics studied by the Shura Council, and was briefed on the conclusions reached by both the Political and Security Affairs Council and the Economic and Development Affairs Council, the General Committee of the Council of Ministers, and the Experts Committee of the Council of Ministers regarding them. The Council concluded the following:

- Approval of an agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt regarding mutual exemption from short-stay visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and special passports.

- Approval of a memorandum of understanding between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of Kuwait in the fields of science, technology, and innovation.

- Delegating the Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture - or his representative - to negotiate with the Syrian side regarding a draft memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform of the Syrian Arab Republic for cooperation in the field of agriculture and to sign it.

- Delegating the Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Center for Plant and Animal Pest Prevention and Control - or his representative - to negotiate with the Plant Protection Organization in the Near East and North Africa regarding a draft agreement between the center and the organization for cooperation in the field of plant health and to sign it.

- Approval of a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of food security between the General Authority for Food Security in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Municipality in the State of Qatar.

- Approval of naming the year (2027) as (The Year of Water).

- Transfer of digital and operational services directly related to real estate documentation processes, which are an essential part of the integrated real estate system - including its technical infrastructure, operational teams, and data - to the General Authority for Real Estate, including: (the real estate exchange platform, the mobile exchange application, the comprehensive system, the data indexing system, the document digitization system, and the basic data entry system), to be completed within (six) months.

- Extension of the requirement that a labor lawsuit must be preceded by an application to the Labor Office for a period of (one year) to take the necessary measures for amicable dispute resolution.

- Approval of the final accounts for the Saudi Electricity Regulatory Authority, the General Authority for Food Security, the National Risk Council, the National Community Development Program in Regions, the National Program for the Development of the Information Technology Sector, and the Universities of (Umm Al-Qura and Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal) for the previous two financial years.

- Directing necessary actions regarding several topics listed on the Council of Ministers' agenda, including annual reports for King Faisal University, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, and the Islamic University in Medina.

- Approval of the promotion of Abdul Salam bin Nasser Abdul Salam to the position of (General Manager) at the (fifteenth) rank in the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.