برئاسة ولي العهد.. مجلس الوزراء: برنامج لكفالة الفئات الأكثر احتياجاً لخدمات «بنك التنمية»

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

At the beginning of the session, the Crown Prince briefed the Council of Ministers on the content of his official discussions with the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, and on the substance of the phone call he received from the Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Friedrich Merz.

The Council praised the outcomes of the first meeting of the Saudi-Indonesian Supreme Coordination Council, which reflected the strength of bilateral relations and the commitment to elevate them to broader horizons. Additionally, it welcomed the signing of agreements and memoranda of understanding between private sector institutions in both countries, covering areas such as clean energy, petrochemical industries, aircraft fuel services, and everything that fulfills aspirations for an advanced economic partnership.

The Council of Ministers approved today the updated document of the "National Strategy for Transport and Logistics," and it also approved that the Social Development Bank establish a program to support the most needy groups for the bank's services, enabling them to access the financing products offered by the bank or others.

Solutions to Manufacturing and Digital Transformation Challenges

The Minister of State, Member of the Council of Ministers for Shura Council Affairs, and Acting Minister of Media, Dr. Essam bin Saad bin Saeed, stated in his statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session that the Council of Ministers then discussed the efforts and contributions made by the Kingdom at the international level to support multilateral work and enhance global economic growth rates, including the continued cooperation and coordination with producers within the OPEC Plus group to maintain stability in oil markets.

The Council welcomed the Kingdom's hosting of the 21st General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), scheduled to be held next November in Riyadh, to contribute to developing joint solutions to challenges related to sustainable manufacturing, innovation, and technological transformation.

Protecting Children in the Digital Space

The Council of Ministers praised the unanimous adoption by the Human Rights Council of a resolution presented by the Kingdom to protect children in the digital space, stemming from the global initiative "Protecting Children in Cyberspace" launched by the Crown Prince, which enhances its objectives at the international level and embodies its vision with practical steps towards a safe and inclusive digital space for this age group.

The Council affirmed that the Kingdom's continued maintenance of the first position in the Cybersecurity Index within the Global Competitiveness Report for 2025 adds to the series of achievements made by this sector in record time at various international levels, through contributing to supporting technological prosperity, localizing priority technologies, and enhancing international cooperation.

Robust Smart Digital Infrastructure

The Council indicated that the Kingdom's attainment of the first global position in the Communications and Technology Development Index issued by the International Telecommunication Union confirms the robustness of the smart digital infrastructure, the attractiveness of the investment environment, and the development of the local digital economy, which has reached a size of 495 billion riyals.

The Council appreciated the achievements and successive successes in combating drugs, including the apprehension of criminal networks engaged in trafficking narcotic substances and psychoactive substances within the Kingdom, and the ongoing security and preventive efforts to protect society from this serious scourge.

Decisions

The Council of Ministers reviewed the topics listed on its agenda, including topics that the Shura Council participated in studying, and it reviewed 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 at the Council of Ministers regarding them. The Council concluded the following:

• Approval of the general agreement for the establishment of the Arab Common Electricity Market, signed during the 15th session of the Arab Ministerial Council for Electricity.

• Authorizing the Minister of Interior - or his representative - to negotiate with the Uzbek side regarding a draft memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of scientific, training, and research activities, and to sign it.

• Authorizing the Secretary of the Riyadh Region - or his representative - to negotiate with the Russian side regarding a draft memorandum of understanding between the Riyadh Region Municipality and the Government of Moscow in the Russian Federation for cooperation in the field of city management, and to sign it.

• Approval of a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in agriculture between the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Economy in the Republic of Argentina.

• Approval of a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the financial sector between the Saudi Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Finance in the Sultanate of Oman.

• Approval of a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and the Federal Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Austria for cooperation in the field of mineral wealth.

• Authorizing the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones - or his representative - to negotiate with the Russian side regarding a draft memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Development Department in the Government of Moscow in the Russian Federation for cooperation in the fields of building, developing, and operating industrial cities and technology zones, and to sign it.

• Approval of a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the future of modern transportation methods between the Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in the Republic of Italy.

• Authorizing the Minister of Investment - or his representative - to sign a draft agreement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Chad regarding the encouragement and mutual protection of investments.

• Approval of a cooperation agreement between the Presidency of State Security in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the National Intelligence Agency in the Kingdom of Thailand in the field of combating terrorism and its financing.

• Approval of the updated document of the "National Strategy for Transport and Logistics."

• Approval of the system for non-Saudis to own real estate.

• Approval of the organization of the General Authority for Irrigation.

• Approval of the Kingdom's adoption of the World Drowning Prevention Day, on the 25th of July each year.

• Approval for the Social Development Bank to establish a program to support the most needy groups for the bank's services, enabling them to access the financing products offered by the bank or others.

• Approval of the final accounts for the Madinah Development Authority and the Public Health Authority for a previous financial year.

Promotions:

The Council decided to approve promotions at the 15th and 14th ranks, as follows:

• Promotion of Turki bin Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al-Nasser to the position of (Senior Business Consultant) at the 15th rank in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.

• Promotion of Mishari bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Fawaz to the position of (Senior Legal Consultant) at the 15th rank in the Experts Committee at the Council of Ministers.

• Promotion of Amin bin Abdulrahman bin Ibrahim Al-Haidar to the position of (Office Manager) at the 14th rank in the General Presidency for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

The Council of Ministers also reviewed several general topics listed on its agenda, including two annual reports for the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority and Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University for a previous year, and the Council took the necessary actions regarding those topics.