The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet's session at Al-Yamamah palace in Riyadh on Tuesday afternoon.
At the outset of the session, the King briefed the Cabinet on the outcome of his talks with President Mahamadou Issoufou of the Republic of Niger, during which they reviewed the aspects of cooperation between the two countries and ways of enhancing them in various fields.
The Cabinet commended the visits paid by the King to Tabuk, Al-Jouf and Northern Borders regions. During the visits, the King inspected the situations of citizens, inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for a number of developmental, mining and industrial projects. These projects came in support of the Kingdom's developmental march and continuing strengthening of the national economy in line with the programs of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. The Cabinet hailed that as a new opening for more mega projects, looking forward to the future to contribute to achieving a comprehensive and balanced development in investing resources, potentialities and wealth of this blessed country to benefit the homeland and its citizens.
The Minister of Health and Acting Minister of Media Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah said in a statement to Saudi Press Agency following the session that the Cabinet highly appreciated the King's directives during his visits to the Kingdom's northern regions to release all Saudi insolvent prisoners in financial and non-criminal cases. As their debts don't exceed one million Saudi Riyals, their insolvency has been proven legally and paying their debts. The Cabinet considered that as a confirmation of the King's keenness to reunite them with their families and relieve their distress as an embodiment of his constant attention to citizens.
The Cabinet expressed its looking forward to the results of the ongoing visits being paid, upon the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Defense to a number of Arab countries. These visits aim to contribute to strengthening relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regionally and internationally and continuing cooperation and communication with other countries in all fields.
Dr. Al-Rabiah further said that the Cabinet welcomed the final communiqué issued by International Conference of Latin American and Caribbean Muslims held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with the participation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And it hailed its thanks and appreciation to the Government of the Kingdom for its services to Islam and Muslims all over the world in general and in Latin America and the Caribbean countries in particular.
The Cabinet expressed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's strong condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist acts which took place in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Somalia, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries. The Cabinet offered condolences to the families of the victims and to the governments and peoples of the respective countries, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, said that the meeting issued the following decisions:
First:
The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture or his deputy to discuss and sign with Egyptian side a draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of water resources, irrigation and seawage water treatment between the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Egypt, and submit the final version to complete legal procedures.
Second:
The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources or his deputy to discuss and sign with Spanish side a draft agreement in the field of coding between the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Defense of the Kingdom of Spain, and submit the final version to complete legal procedures.
Third:
The Cabinet approved an agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Republic of Turkey in the field of air transport services.
Fourth:
The Cabinet authorized the President of the General Auditing Bureau, or his deputy, to discuss with the Jordanian and Sudanese sides draft memorandums of understanding between the General Auditing Bureau of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and each of the Audit Bureau of the Kingdom of Jordan and the National Audit Bureau of the Republic of Sudan on cooperation in the field of accounting, control and vocational work, sign them, and forward the final versions to complete formal procedures.
Fifth:
The Cabinet approved to call on investors to submit bids to implement a sewage treatment plant in western Dammam with a capacity of 350000 cu.m./day.
Sixth:
The Cabinet approved the organization of the National Security Center.
Seventh:
The Cabinet decided to transfer the Diplomatic Quarter's administration into a public authority carrying the name Diplomatic Quarter Commission.
Eighth:
The Cabinet approved promotions and appointments for senior officials on the 15th and 14th ranks, as follows:
1- Abdulrahman bin Sulaiman bin Abdullah Al-Ghareer is promoted to the post of Director General of Administrative and Financial Affairs (15th rank) at the ground forces.
2- Ahmed bin Ibrahim bin Nasser Al-Munif is promoted to the post of civil service consultant (15th rank) at the Ministry of Civil Service.
3- Mashaan bin Marzouq bin Awad Al-Mitairi is promoted to the position of administrative consultant (15th rank)at the General Presidency of Religious Research and Ifta.
4- Eng. Abdullah bin Khalaf bin Eid Al-Shammari is appointed as Assistant Undersecretary for Development Affairs (14th rank) at the Governorate of the Northern Border Region.
5- Yousef bin Saber bin Ibrahim Al-Thubaiti is appointed to the position of Assistant Undersecretary for Rights (14th rank) at the Governorate of Tabuk.
6- Awadah bin Saeed bin Shaher Al-Ahmari is promoted to the position of Assistant Undersecretary for Rights (14th rank) at the Governorate of Jazan region.
7- Sulaiman bin Jarallah ibn Al-Abd Al-Rahman Al-Jarallah is promoted to a post of head of notary office) (14th rank) at the Ministry of Justice.
8- Abdulrahman bin Mahmoud bin Hamid Al-Harthy is promoted to the position of head of notary office (14th rank) at the Ministry of Justice.
9 - Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Abdo Asiri is promoted to a post of head of notary office (14th rank) at the Ministry of Justice.
10- Mishaal bin Mutlaq bin Matrouk Al-Qathami is promoted to the post of Undersecretary for Reconstruction and Projects (14th rank) at the municipality of Taif Province.
11-Eng. Khalid bin Jarallah bin Abdullah Al Shaya is promoted to the post of Undersecretary for Construction and Projects (14th rank) at Hail Region Municipality.
12- Mohammed bin Othman bin Zaid Abu Hameed is promoted to the post of salary and allowances advisor (14th rank) at the Ministry of Civil Service.
The Cabinet was briefed on a number of general issues on its agenda, including the annual reports of the General Authority for Survey, the Monitoring and Investigation Authority, the Saudi Organization for Standardization, Meteorology and Quality and the Social Welfare Fund for a previous financial year. The Cabinet took action, accordingly.