Crown Prince chairs Cabinet in Jeddah, 15 decisions announced

Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman chaired the Cabinet session held on Tuesday in Jeddah.

At the start of the meeting, the Crown Prince briefed the Cabinet on his phone call with US President Donald Trump, during which they discussed regional developments and their implications at various levels. The Crown Prince reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to dialogue as a means to de-escalate tensions, emphasizing the importance of all efforts to achieve calm and pave the way for diplomatic solutions that help maintain regional security and stability.

He also updated the Cabinet on his recent phone conversations with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The talks reviewed prospects for cooperation between Saudi Arabia and their countries in various fields, as well as issues of mutual interest.

Acting Minister of Media and Minister of Education Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan stated to the Saudi Press Agency after the session that the Cabinet appreciated the growing international support for joining the multinational maritime defense coalition launched by Saudi Arabia. This initiative reflects the Kingdom’s leading role in strengthening regional and global security and stability, and in promoting multilateral cooperation to protect international shipping lanes, trade routes, and energy supplies from escalating threats in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden.

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

The Cabinet reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to expanding its humanitarian and relief work by organizing the fifth Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum in April, which has become a prominent global platform for advancing international cooperation, building sustainable strategic partnerships, and facilitating aid delivery to those in need worldwide.

The Cabinet then reviewed reports and indicators from several national programs and strategies, praising the achievements of the Guests of God Service Program. The Cabinet highlighted the ongoing development efforts that reflect Saudi Arabia’s and its leadership’s dedication to serving the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors, and the continuous commitment to providing high-quality services to pilgrims and Umrah performers from arrival to departure.

Al-Benyan added that the Cabinet welcomed the International Monetary Fund’s Article IV Consultation Report for 2026, which affirmed the resilience of the Saudi economy and its ability to adapt to challenges. The report cited the Kingdom’s strong economic foundations, diverse infrastructure, sound long-term financial planning, financial and monetary stability, and structural reforms under Vision 2030, which have driven a decade of economic transformation, strengthened institutional frameworks, improved performance and economic diversification, and advanced health and education indicators, achieving several targets ahead of schedule.

The Cabinet reviewed items on its agenda, including those studied in cooperation with the Shoura Council, and considered the outcomes of the Political and Security Affairs Council, Economic and Development Affairs Council, the Cabinet’s General Committee, and the Bureau of Experts. The Cabinet issued the following decisions:

First:

Approval of a general cooperation agreement between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Ecuador.

Second:

Approval of an agreement with Kazakhstan on the mutual encouragement and protection of investments.

Third:

Approval of a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in civil aviation between the General Authority of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility of Spain.

Fourth:

Approval of a cooperation agreement between the General Authority for Transport of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Ports and Maritime Transport of Somalia in maritime transport.

Fifth:

Authorizing the Minister of Education, Chairman of the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, or his delegate, to discuss and sign a draft memorandum of understanding with Korea’s KDI School of Public Policy and Management on technical and vocational training.

Sixth:

Approval of a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Space Agency and the Turkish Space Agency for cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space.

Seventh:

Approval of the Government Tenders and Procurement Law.

Eighth:

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

Ninth:

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

Tenth:

Approval for the Ministry of Interior, represented by the General Directorate of Medical Services, to join the International Hospital Federation.

Eleventh:

Allowing regional headquarters of financial institutions licensed by the Ministry of Investment to conduct cross-border financial activities approved by the Financial Sector Development Program Committee.

Twelfth:

Extension of the deadline to regularize undocumented real estate transactions for one year.

Thirteenth:

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

Fourteenth:

Issuing directives regarding several items on the Cabinet’s agenda, including annual reports for the Saudi Accreditation Center and the universities of Majmaah and Al-Baha.

Fifteenth:

Approval of promotions to the fourteenth rank as follows:

— Bassam bin Abdulrahman Al-Ammar promoted to Legal Advisor (14th rank) at the Ministry of Interior.

— Dr. Khalid bin Saeed Abu Hatlah promoted to Business Advisor (14th rank) at the Ministry of Media.

— Khalid bin Saleh Al-Sheikh promoted to Legal Advisor (14th rank) at the Cabinet General Secretariat.