برئاسة ولي العهد.. "مجلس الوزراء": ماضون في الدفاع عن سيادة المملكة وأمن مواطنيها.. ونرفض عدوان الحوثيين

The Council of Ministers, chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman, approved a number of agreements, memoranda of understanding, and decisions during the session held today (Tuesday) in Jeddah, including an agreement for mutual visa exemption with Spain, an agreement for the encouragement and mutual protection of investments with Switzerland, in addition to amending several provisions of the judiciary system and establishing a new reserve under the umbrella of the Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh.

At the beginning of the session, the Crown Prince briefed the Council of Ministers on the results of his consultations and discussions with the Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which included discussions on bilateral relations and ways to support and enhance them in various fields.

Minister of Media Salman bin Yusuf Al-Dosari explained in his statement that the Council of Ministers reviewed the latest developments and events in the region, confirming that the terrorist Houthi militia has committed attacks targeting civilian and economic sites in the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan, and Najran, in addition to its continued targeting of commercial ships and threatening freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.

The Council emphasized the Kingdom's continued defense of its sovereignty and the security of its citizens and residents on its territory, and the protection of its national resources, affirming its firm rejection of the hostile approach and criminal behavior of the Houthi militia, which represents a threat to the stability of Yemen and the countries of the region.

The Council directed that the highest levels of medical care and attention be provided to those injured as a result of these attacks, asking God for their swift recovery and for the Kingdom's security and stability to be maintained.

The Council of Ministers also expressed the Kingdom's support for joint Arab efforts aimed at stopping Israeli violations and assaults in the city of Jerusalem and the occupied territories, and confronting Israeli measures in the Palestinian territories, as well as expansionist policies and settlement and displacement operations that violate international laws.

The Council reviewed the results of the Kingdom's participation in a number of regional and international meetings, as part of its efforts to enhance communication with various countries of the world and international organizations, and to support coordination and multilateral action to address global challenges, contributing to supporting development and economic prosperity and building a more stable and progressive future.

The Council welcomed the memorandum of understanding signed by the foreign ministers of the Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany regarding the establishment of a strategic dialogue between the two countries, aimed at enhancing consultation and coordination and developing bilateral cooperation in various fields.

The Council also reviewed reports on a number of international conferences and events hosted by the Kingdom, praising the success of the 26th Scientific Forum for Hajj, Umrah, and Visit Research, and the contributions of its outcomes in enhancing integration among the relevant authorities in the Hajj and Umrah system, raising the level of coordination and partnerships, and improving the quality of services provided to the guests of the Merciful, and supporting proactive decisions based on scientific studies.

The Council praised what was witnessed at the international technical conference "LEAP 2026" in terms of launching initiatives, agreements, and investments amounting to nearly $15 billion in the fields of artificial intelligence infrastructure, data centers, cloud computing, technical manufacturing, venture capital, and developing national capabilities, which enhances the Kingdom's position as a global hub for innovation, technology, and future industries.

The Council considered the launch of new investment projects within the program for localizing industries and water services in the Kingdom a strategic step to develop the sector, moving from importing technologies and operating them to developing, manufacturing, and exporting them, and benefiting from operational and knowledge expertise and integrated infrastructure, which supports building more reliable supply chains and a competitive and expandable industry both locally and globally.

The Council of Ministers reviewed the topics listed on its agenda, including topics studied by the Shura Council, in addition to what was concluded by the Political and Security Affairs Council, the Economic and Development Affairs Council, the General Committee of the Council of Ministers, and the Experts Authority of the Council of Ministers, and made the following decisions:

First: Approval of an agreement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Spain regarding mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, special, and service passports.

Second: Approval of an agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Swiss Federal Council regarding the encouragement and mutual protection of investments.

Third: Authorizing the Governor of the Saudi Central Bank, or his representative, to negotiate with the Indonesian side regarding a draft memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Central Bank and Bank Indonesia for cooperation in the fields of central banking, and to sign it.

Fourth: Approval of a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of Arabic language services between the King Salman Global Center for the Arabic Language in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Muslim World League.

Fifth: Approval of amendments to several provisions of the judiciary system related to the ranks of the judicial corps and the conditions for holding them.

Sixth: Establishment of a nature reserve named "Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal Reserve" under the umbrella of the Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh.

Seventh: Appointment of Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al-Shuraihi and Ali bin Abdullah Al-Lafi as members of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Center for Energy Efficiency.

Eighth: Approval of the final accounts of the Jeddah Development Authority, the Social Development Bank, and Taibah University for the previous two financial years.

Ninth: Directing what is necessary regarding several topics listed on the Council of Ministers' agenda, including the annual reports of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Supreme Authority for Hosting the 2034 World Cup, the General Authority for Irrigation, and the Support and Liquidation Center.

Tenth: Approval of promotions to the fourteenth rank, which included:

• Promotion of Sultan bin Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Jalawi Al Saud to the position of "Business Consultant" at the Ministry of Defense.
• Promotion of Mu'id bin Abdullah Al-Zahrani to the position of "Business Consultant" at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
• Promotion of Turki bin Saad Al-Sharif to the position of "Business Consultant" at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
• Promotion of Saud bin Abdulrahman Al-Omairi to the position of "Office Manager" at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.
• Promotion of Badr bin Abdulrahman Al-Rais to the position of "Office Manager" at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.