لا توثيق للتصرف العقاري الناقل لملكية الأراضي البيضاء و«الشاغرة» إلا بعد سداد الرسوم

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the session held by the Council of Ministers today in Jeddah.

At the beginning of the session, the Council of Ministers praised the state visit of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz to the French Republic, and what his official discussions with President Emmanuel Macron confirmed about the strength of the historical relations between the two friendly countries and the mutual desire to deepen their strategic cooperation on various fronts, and to continue coordination and consultation according to a shared vision aimed at establishing the foundations of stability in the region and the world based on preserving the sovereignty of states, respecting the provisions of international law, prioritizing political and diplomatic solutions to disputes, and confronting security threats.

The Council welcomed the outcomes of the first meeting of the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership Council, which was chaired by the Crown Prince and the President of the French Republic, and what it included in terms of launching new initiatives, agreements, and memoranda of understanding in the fields of defense, health, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, and entertainment, as well as the announcement of 21 agreements and memoranda of understanding during the roundtable meeting on investment; which will contribute to the development of the economic partnership between the two countries and open new horizons for joint cooperation and investment in light of the growing bilateral relations and the wide opportunities provided by Saudi Vision 2030.

The Council of Ministers then reviewed the overall discussions that took place in the past days between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a number of brotherly and friendly countries, including the two messages received by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince from the President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Andy Burnham.

On the local front, the Council of Ministers decided that no real estate transaction transferring ownership of land subject to the provisions of the White Land Tax and vacant properties shall be documented except after verifying the payment of the due fees.

Developing relations with Japan and reducing escalation in the region

Minister of State, Member of the Council of Ministers for Shura Council Affairs, and Acting Minister of Media Dr. Essam bin Saad bin Saeed, in his statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, clarified that the Council noted the results of the third meeting of the strategic dialogue between the foreign ministers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Japan, which included the affirmation of the continuation of developing the solid bilateral relations and pushing them to broader horizons; by benefiting from the economic opportunities in both friendly countries, especially in the sectors of investment, energy, resources, supply chains, technology, and exchanging experiences and capabilities; in a way that supports priorities and achieves common goals.

The Council of Ministers followed the developments of events and their course in the regional and international arenas, and the ongoing efforts made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to reduce escalation and prevent renewed tensions and conflicts in the region, and support comprehensive and sustainable diplomatic solutions and protect freedom of maritime navigation, emphasizing in this context the necessity of keeping the Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb, and all vital passages open, safe, and free from any threats.

Praise for the Quran Memorization Competition and support for "eSports"

The Council reviewed a number of reports on the events and activities hosted by the Kingdom, praising in this context the success achieved by the King Abdulaziz International Competition for the Memorization, Recitation, and Interpretation of the Holy Quran in its 46th session, which witnessed wide participation from competitors from 133 countries, and distinguished organization that embodied the Kingdom's leadership in caring for the Book of God and serving Islam and Muslims.

The Council of Ministers considered the achievements and successes of the World Cup for eSports in its first and second editions in Riyadh and the third in Paris; as a confirmation of the Kingdom's ongoing support for this growing sector, which includes enhancing the role of sports and creative fields in communication and rapprochement between peoples and communities within the framework of excellence, competition, and innovation.

Decisions:

The Council reviewed the topics listed on its agenda, including topics that the Shura Council participated in studying, and also reviewed the conclusions reached by both the Political and Security Affairs Council, the Economic and Development Affairs Council, the General Committee of the Council of Ministers, and the Experts Authority at the Council of Ministers regarding them. The Council concluded the following:

- Authorizing the Minister of Transport and Logistics Services - or his representative - to sign the United Nations Convention on the Use of Electronic Documents in International Contracts approved by the United Nations General Assembly.

- Authorizing the Minister of Health - or his representative - to discuss with the Portuguese side regarding a draft memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Health in the Republic of Portugal for cooperation in health fields, and to sign it.

- Authorizing the Minister of Education, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Center for E-Learning - or his representative - to discuss with the Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education regarding a draft memorandum of understanding between the two centers for cooperation in the field of e-learning.

- Authorizing the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Social Development Bank - or his representative - to discuss a draft agreement between the bank and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development for cooperation regarding technical assistance to build the capacities of small and medium enterprises and startups within the framework of the (Empower) program, and to sign it.

- Approving two memoranda of understanding between the General Court of Accounts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the auditing offices in the Republics of Cyprus and Gambia for cooperation in the field of accounting, auditing, and professional work.

- Approving the unified law on voluntary work in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in its accompanying form to the decision of the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council in its 44th session.

- Approving the national intellectual property policy.

- Approving the national policy to enhance emergency safety in public places and workplaces.

- No real estate transaction transferring ownership of land subject to the provisions of the White Land Tax and vacant properties shall be documented except after verifying the payment of the due fees.

- Approving the final accounts of Umm Al-Qura University, Qassim University, and Al-Jawf University for previous financial years.

- Directing what is necessary regarding a number of topics listed on the Council of Ministers' agenda, including annual reports for the Development Authority of the Medina Region, the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises, and the National Center for Water Efficiency and Rationalization.

Promotions:

Approval of promotions to the ranks of (fifteenth) and (fourteenth), as follows:

- Promotion of Abdullah bin Dhef Allah Al-Otaibi to the position of (Senior Business Consultant) at the rank of (fifteenth) at Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University.

- Promotion of Nayef bin Waseel Al-Ruqai to the position of (Office Manager) at the rank of (fourteenth) at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.

- Promotion of Abdullah bin Suleiman Al-Asim to the position of (Office Manager) at the rank of (fourteenth) at the Ministry of Education.

- Promotion of Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al-Dukhail to the position of (Office Manager) at the rank of (fourteenth) at the Board of Grievances.