Jeddah: His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the Cabinet session held Tuesday in Jeddah. At the outset of the session, the Cabinet expressed gratitude to Allah Almighty for the honor bestowed upon the Kingdom in serving the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, and for the continued success achieved during last year’s Hajj season. Over 1.6 million pilgrims were facilitated in performing their rituals with ease and tranquility, as the Kingdom dedicated all its resources and efforts under the constant guidance of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

According to Saudi Press Agency, the Cabinet praised the efforts of the Supreme Hajj Committee and all personnel involved in serving the pilgrims for their effective implementation of security, preventive, organizational, and health plans. These efforts have established the Kingdom as a global model in crowd management and in providing high-quality services to visitors of the Two Holy Mosques and the holy sites.

The Cabinet reviewed the efforts of the relevant authorities in meeting the needs of pilgrims from the Islamic Republic of Iran and securing hundreds of flights and overland journeys to ensure their safe return home amid the circumstances their country faced. It affirmed that serving and caring for pilgrims remains one of the Kingdom’s highest priorities and most important responsibilities.

Afterwards, HRH the Crown Prince briefed the Cabinet on the contents of messages received by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques from President Nicol¡s Maduro Moros of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, President Luong Cuong of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and President Joo Manuel Gon§alves Louren§o of the Republic of Angola. The messages addressed bilateral relations with the Kingdom and ways to support and strengthen them across various fields.

Moreover, the Cabinet reviewed regional and international developments, reiterating the Kingdom’s positions, as expressed by HRH the Crown Prince in his communications with leaders of brotherly and friendly countries, and its continued support for international efforts to promote regional and global peace and security, address crises, ease tensions, and advance dialogue through diplomatic means as an effective path to resolving disputes.

The Cabinet also emphasized the statement issued by the Kingdom that affirmed solidarity with the State of Qatar and the categorical rejection of any infringement on its sovereignty or any threat to its security and stability.

In his remarks to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, State Minister, Cabinet Member for Shura Council Affairs, and Acting Minister of Media Dr. Essam bin Saeed said the Cabinet emphasized the role of the international community to end the catastrophic consequences of the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, protecting innocent civilians, and creating a new reality where Palestine can enjoy peace in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.

The Cabinet reiterated that the Kingdom welcomes the signing of the peace agreement between the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, hoping that it will fulfill the aspirations of both nations’ peoples for development and prosperity, while upholding regional and international security and stability.

The Cabinet highlighted the commencement of operation of the Global Water Organization (GWO) from its headquarters in Riyadh as a reaffirmation of the Kingdom’s commitment to enhancing international initiatives. This development also underscores the Saudi eagerness to strengthen cooperation among countries by supporting collaborative efforts to address the growing challenges related to water, as an essential resource for life.

The Cabinet noted Saudi Arabia’s election as vice chair of the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board as well as its selection as a member of the High-Level Group for Partnership, Coordination, and Capacity-Building for Statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (HLG-PCCB). Additionally, it highlighted the inclusion of the Uruq Bani Ma’arid Protected Area in the Green List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The state minister noted that the Cabinet welcomed the concluding statement issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) experts regarding the 2025 Article IV consultation with Saudi Arabia. The statement praised the Saudi economy’s high resilience in the face of global economic challenges, the expansion of non-oil economic activities, the containment of inflation, and the unemployment rate reaching historic lows, aligning with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

The Cabinet highlighted the results of the 7th King Abdulaziz Quality Award, lauding the commitment of the winning entities to adopting the principles of institutional excellence and enhancing performance quality, which contributes to improved outcomes and helps achieve national objectives.

The session’s agenda included topics that the Shura Council participated in studying. The Cabinet discussed the conclusions reached by both the Council of Political and Security Affairs and the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, as well as the Cabinet’s General Committee and the Bureau of Experts regarding these matters. The Cabinet addressed other items on its agenda and issued several decisions, among which the following:

First, authorizing the minister of interior, or a deputy, to sign a draft cooperation agreement between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria in the field of combating organized crime.

Second, approving an agreement between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the Italian Republic on mutual exemption from short-stay visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, special, or service passports.

Third, authorizing the minister of foreign affairs, or a deputy, to discuss and sign a draft agreement between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the Russian Federation on mutual exemption from entry visas for citizens of both countries.

Fourth, approving a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in the field of Islamic affairs.

Fifth, authorizing the minister of environment, water, and agriculture, or a deputy, to discuss and sign with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research a draft agreement to promote sustainability and innovation in the agricultural sector in the Kingdom.

Sixth, approving a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development of Zambia for cooperation in the field of mineral resources within the mining sector.

Seventh, authorizing the minister of industry and mineral resources, or a deputy, to complete the necessary procedures for the Kingdom’s accession to the Integrated Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development.

Eighth, approving the amendment to the name of the Supreme National Investment Committee of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, to become the ‘National Investment Committee of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs.’

Ninth, approving the mechanism for registering and verifying the biometric data of individuals arriving in and departing from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via cruise ships.