Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Saudi Council of Ministers reaffirmed on Tuesday the shared vision of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America in striving to achieve a secure and stable Middle East. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chaired the Cabinet session in Riyadh.

The Cabinet reiterated that the current visit of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to the United States aimed to strengthen bilateral relations and the strategic partnership between the two friendly countries across diverse fields.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of State, Cabinet Member for Shoura Council Affairs and Acting Minister of Media Issam bin Saad bin Saeed said that the Cabinet reviewed the recent discussions between Saudi Arabia and several countries worldwide, including the two messages received by the Crown Prince from President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea and President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran.

The Cabinet also discussed the content of the Kingdom's participation in regional and international meetings, reiterating Saudi Arabia's emphasis at the 42nd meeting of the GCC Interior Ministers on the importance of integrated joint action to confront security challenges. This commitment aims to protect homelands and societies while enhancing opportunities for development and prosperity in the region.

The Cabinet commended the Kingdom's global pronouncements in the tourism sector, most notably the Riyadh Declaration adopted during the 26th session of the United Nations Tourism Organization General Assembly. This declaration serves as a roadmap for a more inclusive and sustainable future for the sector and is considered as a key driver of national growth.

The Cabinet also expressed its appreciation for the patronage of the Crown Prince for the fourth edition of the Global AI Summit, to be held in the Kingdom in 2026. This patronage is part of the Kingdom's ongoing efforts to make innovation and digital transformation fundamental pillars for building a sustainable and globally competitive knowledge-based economy.

The Cabinet praised the Digital Government Forum held in Riyadh, which showcased innovative and high-quality initiatives supported by artificial intelligence technologies. It also commended the significant progress made by government entities in measuring digital transformation and the adequacy of digital content for 2025, reflecting the continued development of services provided to citizens, residents, and visitors.

The Cabinet commended the integration of national efforts in developing local content and contributing to raising the localization rate of military spending to 24.89 percent by the end of 2024, thus reinforcing the continuous progress in the localization process in this sector to reach more than 50 percent by 2030.

The Cabinet approved the Unified Industrial Regulation Law for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States, and the Unified Rules for Prevention and Protection from Domestic Violence, Exploitation, and Abuse for the GCC States; bothadopted by the 43rd session of the Supreme Council of the GCC held in Riyadh. It also amended the regulations of the National Center for Mental Health Promotion, so that the center is organizationally linked to the minister of health.

The Cabinet approved guidelines for a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in development fields between the Saudi National Development Fund (NDF) and its counterparts in other countries, and authorizing chairman of the board of directors of the NDF or his deputy to discuss and sign a draft memorandum with relevant counterparts based on the approved guidelines.

The Council authorized the minister of foreign affairs or his deputy to discuss and sign a draft MoU on political consultations with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, and approved a MoU on Islamic affairs between the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance and the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs.

The Cabinet authorized the minister of human resources and social development or his deputy to discuss and sign a draft MoU on youth development cooperation between the Saudi government and the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, and authorized the minister of finance and chairman of the board of directors of the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority or his deputy to sign a draft MoU on customs cooperation and mutual assistance between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Kenya.

The Council approved a MoU between the Saudi Food and Drug Authority and the Jordan Food and Drug Administration for cooperation within their respective mandates and approved a MoU on cooperation between the Saudi National Competitiveness Center and the Singapore Ministry of Law.

The Cabinet authorized the chairman of the board of directors of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission or his deputy to discuss and sign a draft MoU for cooperation in measurement, evaluation, and accreditation in education and the national qualifications framework with the Oman Authority for Academic Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Education, and authorized the minister of education and chairman of the board of directors of the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation or his deputy to discuss and sign a draft MoU on technical and vocational training with the Russian Federal Institute for the Development of Vocational Education and Training.