Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH — The Council of Ministers expressed Saudi Arabia's hope that the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit held on Monday would lead to the two-state solution with the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King 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 hoped that the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit for Peace, hosted by Egypt to address the war in the Gaza Strip, would strengthen efforts toward regional security and stability, alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people, and ensure a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The Council pinned hope that the Summit would initiate practical steps to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
At the outset of the session, the Cabinet reviewed the content of the message sent by the King, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to King Mohammed VI of Morocco, as well as the details of the phone call received by the Crown Prince from King Abdullah II of Jordan.
The Cabinet stressed the urgent need for an immediate cessation of the war in Sudan, emphasizing the preservation of the country's unity and institutions. The Council called for sparing Sudan and its people from further suffering and destruction and urged the implementation of the Jeddah Declaration signed on May 11, 2023.
Al-Dossary said the Cabinet subsequently reviewed the latest developments in joint committees between Saudi Arabia and several friendly countries. The review covered progress made in bilateral action aimed at strengthening relations, expanding areas of cooperation, and achieving mutual interests across various fields.
The Cabinet discussed the positive results of the Kingdom's hosting of several international meetings and forums, praising the success of the 25th Scientific Forum for Hajj, Umrah, and Visit Research, held under the patronage of King Salman. The Council commended the forum’s innovative initiatives, which are expected to contribute to enhancing the quality of services provided to pilgrims.
The Cabinet considered the launch of the MENA Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network a practical measure for building an advanced system that will enhance the capabilities of countries in the region to effectively combat corruption and money laundering.
The Cabinet congratulated Saudi scientist Omar Yaghi, the co-director at the KACST–UC Berkeley Center of Excellence, on winning the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This prestigious award embodies the state's continued support and patronage of the entire research, development, and innovation system, as well as of scientists and researchers across various fields.
The Cabinet approved amending the Law of the Profession of Accounting and Auditing and the organization of the Saudi Organization for Chartered and Professional Accountants. It also amended the organization of the National Development Fund.
The Cabinet approved gradually assigning the tasks of operating, maintaining, and rehabilitating dam and groundwater treatment plants with a daily production capacity of less than 5,000 cubic meters to the Saudi Water Authority.
The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Saudi Ministry of Energy and the United Nations Environment Program. It also endorsed the model MoU for cooperation in tourism promotion and marketing between the Saudi Tourism Authority and its counterparts in other countries, and authorizing the minister of tourism and chairman of the Saudi Tourism Authority or his deputy to discuss and sign draft MoU with counterparts based on the approved model.
The Council authorized the minister of environment, water, and agriculture and chairman of the Saudi Water Authority or his deputy to discuss and sign a draft MoU in the field of water industry between the Saudi Water Authority and the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The Cabinet approved the model MoU for cooperation in tourism promotion and marketing between the Saudi Tourism Authority and its counterparts in other countries, and authorized the minister of tourism and chairman of the Saudi Tourism Authority or his deputy to discuss and sign draft MoU with counterparts based on the approved model.
The Cabinet approved a MoU for cooperation and exchange of expertise in the field of statistics between the General Authority for Statistics and the Qatari National Statistics Center, and the UAE Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center.
The Council authorized the chairman of the Research, Development, and Innovation Authority or his deputy to discuss and sign a draft MoU in the field of research, development, and innovation between the Saudi Research, Development, and Innovation Authority and the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council.
It authorized the attorney general or his deputy to sign a draft MoU between the Saudi Public Prosecution and the Turkish General Prosecution Office of the Supreme Court of Appeal.
The Cabinet also authorized the minister of education and chairman of the National eLearning Center or his deputy to discuss and sign a draft MoU for cooperation in e-learning between the National eLearning Center and the Korea Education and Research Information Service.