Cabinet approves investor-led land development for housing beneficiaries

Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman chaired the weekly Cabinet session in Jeddah on Tuesday, opening with a briefing on his phone call with US President Donald Trump. The discussion focused on regional developments and their implications, with Saudi Arabia emphasizing the importance of dialogue to de-escalate tensions and pursue diplomatic solutions that safeguard regional security.

The Crown Prince also updated the Cabinet on recent phone calls with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, covering prospects for bilateral cooperation and issues of mutual interest.

This was outlined in a statement by Acting Minister of Media and Minister of Education Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, following the session, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency.

Red Sea maritime coalition sees growing international support

The Cabinet welcomed increasing international support for the multinational maritime defense coalition launched by Saudi Arabia. The initiative aims to strengthen regional and global security, establish a framework for joint cooperation, and protect shipping lanes, trade routes, and energy supplies from escalating threats in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden.

Gaza: Hope for a comprehensive political process

The Cabinet expressed hope that the historic agreement on disarmament in Gaza will pave the way for a comprehensive political process leading to full implementation of the peace plan, ensuring the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and an independent state. The Cabinet commended the efforts of Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, the United States, and the Peace Council in achieving this milestone.

The Cabinet also reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to expanding its humanitarian work, including hosting the fifth Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum in April.

IMF: Saudi economy shows resilience, meets targets ahead of schedule

The Cabinet welcomed the findings of the International Monetary Fund’s 2026 Article IV Consultation, which highlighted the resilience and adaptability of the Saudi economy. The report credited strong economic fundamentals and structural reforms under Vision 2030 for improved economic performance, diversification, and progress in health and education indicators, with several targets achieved ahead of schedule.

Key decisions

• The Cabinet approved several agreements and regulations, including:

• A general cooperation agreement with Ecuador and a mutual investment promotion and protection agreement with Kazakhstan.

• Two memoranda of understanding: one for civil aviation cooperation with Spain, and another for space cooperation between the Saudi and Turkish agencies.

• A maritime transport cooperation agreement with the Federal Republic of Somalia.

• Authorizing the Minister of Education to negotiate and sign a memorandum of understanding on technical and vocational training with Korea’s KDI School.

• Approval of the Government Tenders and Procurement Law.

• Approval of the statute for the International Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics.

• Granting investors the right to develop planned land plots and build housing units for social housing beneficiaries in exchange for ownership of a portion of the land.

• Allowing the Ministry of Interior’s General Directorate of Medical Services to join the International Hospital Federation.

• Permitting regional headquarters of licensed financial institutions to conduct approved cross-border financial activities, as authorized by the Financial Sector Development Program Committee.

• Extending the deadline for regularizing undocumented real estate transactions by one year.

• Approving final accounts for the universities of Hail, Taibah, Qassim, and Jouf for previous fiscal years.

The Cabinet also approved several promotions to the 14th rank, including Bassam bin Abdulrahman Al-Ammar (Legal Adviser at the Ministry of Interior), Dr. Khalid bin Saeed Abu Hatlah (Business Adviser at the Ministry of Media), and Khalid bin Saleh Al-Sheikh (Legal Adviser at the Cabinet General Secretariat).