Saudi Arabia reaffirms support for efforts to resolve disputes through dialogue

RIYADH — The Council of Ministers reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s steadfast positions on the latest regional and international issues and its support for efforts to resolve disputes through dialogue so as to enhance security and stability in the region and the world. Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman chaired the Cabinet session in Riyadh on Tuesday. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said that the Cabinet reviewed recent discussions and consultations between Saudi Arabia and several friendly countries regarding the latest regional and international developments. The Cabinet emphasized the contents of a statement issued by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Arab, and Islamic countries, which condemned the Israeli occupation forces’ violations of the ceasefire in Gaza. “These violations undermine international efforts to solidify the truce, establish stability, and advance the implementation of the second phase of the peace plan, which ultimately aims to achieve a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace that enables the Palestinian people to establish their independent state,” the Cabinet pointed out. Al-Dossary disclosed that the Cabinet commended the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces’ response in reaching a ceasefire agreement, supported by Saudi Arabia and the United States. This agreement is expected to contribute to Syria’s progress towards peace, security, and stability, fulfilling the aspirations of its people, and strengthening national unity. The Cabinet discussed the outcomes of the meetings and conferences hosted by the Kingdom, appreciating the active international participation in the second meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Green Middle East Initiative. This meeting included the approval of new members, bringing the total number of participating countries in the initiative to 35. Additionally, the meeting adopted foundational steps paving the way for the operational and developmental phase, along with renewing commitments to achieving the initiative’s objectives, including planting over 22 billion trees and rehabilitating 92 million hectares, which will help address regional environmental challenges and bolster global efforts. The Cabinet commended the outcomes of the International Conference on Data & AI Capacity Building, held in Riyadh, noting the launch of numerous initiatives across various sectors and the signing of 27 agreements. These agreements aimed to strengthen international academic partnerships for knowledge transfer, technology localization, and the achievement of the objectives of the national strategy for the sector. The Cabinet praised the outcomes of the fifth edition of the Real Estate Future Forum, which witnessed broad international participation and resulted in the signing of 80 agreements and memoranda of understanding. These are expected to enhance the real estate sector’s developmental role and contribute to achieving national objectives. The Cabinet hailed the Saudi Media Forum, held under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. The forum witnessed the launch of strategic agreements and initiatives that reflect the advancement of the media sector in the Kingdom and its role in keeping pace with digital transformation and content development, reinforcing Riyadh’s position as a hub for innovators and a leading global event. The Cabinet reviewed achievements across a number of government sector ecosystems. It examined the commencement of the National Privatization Strategy, a key enabler of economic diversification and an important measure to reinforce the private sector’s central role in comprehensive development. The strategy is anticipated to create new prospects, advance infrastructure development, elevate public service quality, and further enhance the Kingdom’s investment attractiveness. The Cabinet also commended the developmental and qualitative projects launched in the industrial cities of Makkah and Jeddah, which aim to support the localization of priority industries, develop local content, and facilitate business operations, thereby contributing to economic development in the region. The Cabinet approved the National Policy for the Arabic Language in Saudi Arabia. It approved a draft general cooperation agreement between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Cyprus. The Cabinet authorized the minister of culture and chairman of the board of trustees of the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language or his deputy to discuss and sign with the General Secretariat of the Arab League a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the field of Arabic language services.The Cabinet approved a draft MoU between the Saudi Ministry of Justice and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, and another MoUfor cooperation in the postal sector between the Saudi Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services and the Brazilian Ministry of Communications. The Council authorized the minister of economy and planning or his deputy to sign a draft agreement for building research ecosystems in Saudi Arabia and a draft agreement for achieving new horizons for competitiveness in Saudi Arabia and its global impact, between the Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning and Harvard University in the United States. The Cabinet approved a draft agreement between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Finland in the field of air transport services, and endorsed the Equestrian Authority’s accession to the International Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders.The Council approved a draft cooperation agreement between the Saudi Presidency of State Security and the Uzbek National Security Service in the field of combating terrorism and its financing, and two draft MoUs between the Saudi General Court of Audit and the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea, and the Supreme Audit Office of the United Mexican States, for cooperation in the field of accounting, auditing, and professional work. The Cabinet approved implementation of two resolutions of the 44th Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council held in Doha, regarding the adoption of the unified guiding legislation for combating narcotics and psychotropic substances in the GCC countries as a guiding framework, and regarding the adoption of the Unified Guiding Law for field response procedures to hazardous materials incidents in the GCC countries as a guiding framework.