HRH the Crown Prince Chairs Cabinet Session

Riyadh, December 26, 2023, SPA -- His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the Cabinet session here today.
The Cabinet was briefed on the recent talks Kingdom of Saudi Arabia officials had with counterparts in several other countries with the aim of strengthening cooperation and coordination to serve common interests and advance international efforts.
The Cabinet followed up on regional and international developments, particularly the situation in the Palestinian territories, and reiterated its appreciation for the Security Council decision to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza. It urged the international community to fulfill its obligations and urgently put an end to the systematic violations committed by the Israeli occupation forces, including the killing and forced displacement of innocent civilians.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency after the session, Minister of Media Salman bin Yousef Al-Dosari said that the Cabinet expressed its support for the newly established roadmap aimed at bolstering the peace process in Yemen. The Cabinet reaffirmed the Kingdom's continued support for Yemen, and emphasized the need to encourage Yemeni parties to engage in dialogue to reach a comprehensive and lasting political solution under UN supervision.
The Cabinet also reviewed the achievements of the national economy in the current year, and the plans, programs and development projects that were carried out and will lend the greatest support to the comprehensive economic development of Saudi Arabia and help achieve the goals of Vision 2030.
The Cabinet commended government agencies' progress, as shown in the Digital Transformation Index for the year 2023, which is a testimony of the government's support for undertakings that improve the services provided to citizens, residents and visitors, the quality of life, competitiveness and ease of doing business, as well as enhance the government's efficiency.
The Cabinet said the fact that the Kingdom ranked second among G20 countries in the ICT Development Index, issued by the International Telecommunication Union for 2023, is but a continuation of the qualitative leaps it has taken in competitiveness and global leadership at various levels.
The Cabinet tackled other items on its agenda and issued several decisions, among which the following:
First:
Approving two memoranda of understanding between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the governments of the Republic of Türkiye and the Netherlands, in the field of energy.
Second:
Authorizing the minister of justice, or a deputy, to sign a draft memorandum of understanding regarding cooperation between the Saudi Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
Third:
Approving a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Ministry of Tourism and the Iraqi Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities.
Fourth:
Approving a memorandum of understanding, between the Saudi Ministry of Investment and the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, to promote direct investment.
Fifth:
Approving a protocol for the Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Reciprocal Investments reached by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Federal Republic of Switzerland.
Sixth:
Approving a memorandum of cooperation between the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property and the Moroccan Office for Industrial and Commercial Property, in the industrial field.
Seventh:
Approving an agreement on cooperation in air transport services between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the Republic of Chile.
Eighth:
Approving the Saudi Food and Drug Authority's accession to the International Medical Device Regulators Forum.
Ninth:
Approving a memorandum of understanding between the Presidency of State Security of Saudi Arabia and the UK's Secret Intelligence Service, with a view to combating terrorist crimes.
Tenth:
Approving a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Central Bank and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority for cooperation in the field of financial innovation.
Eleventh:
Approving a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Royal Institute of Traditional Arts and the Academy of Art and Design at Tsinghua University, in the People's Republic of China, regarding cooperation in the field of traditional arts.
Twelfth:
Approving legislation governing contracts reached with companies without regional headquarters in the Kingdom and with other involved parties.
-- SPA