The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Prime Minister, chaired the Cabinet's virtual session today.
At the outset of the session, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the Cabinet on the content of the phone call he made to Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of the Sultanate of Oman, in which the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands by the Sultanate in its efforts to confront the repercussions of the tropical cyclone Shaheen, as well as the content of the letter he received from President Joe Biden of the United States of America. The letter praised the historical relations between the two countries, as they are still constituting a cornerstone of stability, security and economic prosperity in the Middle East. The US President said in the letter that he is looking forward to continuing joint work in many fields.
Then, the Cabinet reviewed the Pre-Budget Statement for the Fiscal Year 2022 , including the Fiscal and Economic Performance Report FY 2021, and the main fiscal objectives and economic indicators estimates for Fiscal Year 2022 over the medium term, as well as the key initiatives and programs that will be implemented during the coming fiscal years within the framework of the Kingdom's Vision 2030.
The Cabinet within this context expressed an aspiration to continue economic growth and comprehensive development. The Cabinet also stressed the continuation of work to enhance spending efficiency, maintain financial sustainability, and implement financial reforms that support economic growth and diversification, in order to achieve the goals of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's development ambition.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Acting Minister of Media Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi said that the Cabinet followed the exerted efforts to develop the tourism sector and raise its contribution to the GDP, particularly with regard to the work to develop many tourist destinations with a global scope in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's regions. This includes the recent launch of the Strategy for the Development of Aseer Region. The strategy seeks to make Aseer region by 2030 a year round world tourist destination catering for more than 10 million visitors from the Kingdom and abroad. The strategy's objective is to achieve a comprehensive growth for the region in addition to raising the quality of life, improving the region's basic services and infrastructure, attracting investments and contributing to the social and economic prosperity of the region.
The Cabinet reviewed the Kingdom's activities and events during the week, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's celebrations of the World Teacher's Day, as they highlighted the government's keenness and interest in raising the quality of education to meet highest international levels and strengthening the pivotal role of teachers in the educational system. The Cabinet on this occasion expressed thanks to all teachers for their efforts in the educational process and support for the continuity of education despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and the confidence that they will continue to deliver the message of their profession.
Minister Dr. Al-Qasabi stated that the Cabinet touched upon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's keenness to develop existing relations with international institutions and organizations in order to achieve common interests. This comes within the context of addressing the Cooperation Arrangement signed between the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European External Action Service to regular consultations, which will contribute to strengthening joint cooperation in all fields.
The Cabinet was briefed on a number of issues on its agenda, and issued the following decisions:
First:
The Cabinet approved an agreement between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the Republic of Iraq on the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of tax evasion with respect to taxes on income and capital.
Second:
The Cabinet approved an extension of the Facilitated Mortgage Program for three years.
Third:
The Cabinet approved the transferring of issuance of Certificate of Origin (CO) for all national products from the Ministry of Commerce to the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources.
Fourth:
The Cabinet approved the final account of the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission for a previous fiscal year.
Fifth:
The Cabinet amended rules regulating the work of the National Committee on Geographical Names.
Sixth:
The Cabinet approved a number of promotions at (14th) Rank. The Cabinet also reviewed a number of general topics on its agenda. The Cabinet took the necessary measures regarding these topics.
