Saudi Arabia affirmed its keenness to establish security and stability at the regional and international levels, and stressed the pivotal role of the “Mecca Agreement” countries in establishing security and stability in the region, and supporting the mediation efforts made by Qatar and Pakistan to reduce the escalation, and supporting all endeavors aimed at achieving peace.
During its session, which was chaired by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, the Council of Ministers discussed the contents of the talks that took place between the countries of the “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement” and senior Iranian officials.
At the beginning of the session; The Crown Prince informed the Cabinet of Ministers of the content of the two letters received by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the content of his reception with French President Emmanuel Macron, and the results of his official discussions with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and what they confirmed of the strength of historical relations between the two countries and the keenness to enhance joint cooperation in various fields.
The Council praised the high capabilities of the air defense systems and their ability to thwart the repeated attempts of the terrorist Houthi militia to target Mecca and Medina and a number of the Kingdom’s cities and facilities. It expressed its condemnation of these criminal attacks as a dangerous aggression against the Kingdom’s sovereignty and the sanctity of Islamic sanctities and a blatant violation of the feelings of Muslims around the world, and affirmed the Kingdom’s legitimate right to firmly defend the security of the Two Holy Mosques. And their destinations, its citizens, and those residing on its land.
The Council of Ministers noted the increase in the rate of localization of military spending in the Kingdom to 27.3 percent by the end of 2025. Exceeding the annual target of 24 percent, with an increase in local content to reach 40.9 percent, which reflects the adequacy of national capabilities and supports complementary work between the public and private sectors and continued progress towards localizing more than 50 percent of total military spending by 2030, God willing.
The Council reviewed a number of performance indicators of the government work system and the progress it has achieved in the areas of management, governance and institutional excellence. In this context, it praised the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development for obtaining a global award from the International Project Management Institute, outperforming 53 entities from 28 countries. By contributing to enhancing the effectiveness of implementing initiatives, achieving goals and aligning them with national priorities.
The Council of Ministers reviewed the topics on its agenda, including topics that the Shura Council participated in studying. It also reviewed the conclusions reached by the Councils of Political and Security Affairs, the Economic Affairs and Development Council, the General Committee of the Council of Ministers, and the Council of Experts in the Council of Ministers regarding them.
The Council decided, during its session, to approve the indicative model for an agreement between Saudi Arabia and the governments of other countries regarding exempting holders of diplomatic or private passports or the like from entry visas, and to authorize the Minister of Foreign Affairs - or his representative - to discuss with the governments of a number of countries the draft agreement and sign it, in light of the indicative model, and a memorandum of understanding with Turkey in the areas of the municipal and housing sectors, and an agreement with India on cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters.
He approved a memorandum of understanding in the areas of the municipal and housing sectors between the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing in Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in Syria, and a memorandum of understanding between the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority in Saudi Arabia and the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Authority in Jordan for cooperation in the field of nuclear safety and security and radiation protection.
The Council authorized the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Digital Government Authority - or his representative - to discuss with the Korean side a draft memorandum of understanding between the Authority and the Ministry of Interior and Safety in Korea for cooperation in the field of digital government. It also approved a cooperation agreement between the Presidency of State Security in Saudi Arabia and the National Security Intelligence in Bangladesh in the field of combating terrorist crimes and its financing, and on the system of commercial transactions, and on the organizational arrangements for the “Royal Institute of Anthropology and Cultural Studies,” and on the roles, specializations and powers of the authorities in Supervision, inspection and control of electric toys.
During its session, the Council approved the restructuring of the Board of Directors of the National Water Company, headed by Engineer Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Fadhli, adding the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture to the membership of the committee investigating food poisoning incidents, and approving the final accounts of the Equestrian Authority, the Saudi Export-Import Bank, and the Social Development Bank, for two previous fiscal years.
The Council directed what was necessary regarding a number of topics on the agenda of the Council of Ministers, including annual reports for the Hail Region Development Authority, the Equestrian Authority, the General Ports Authority, the General Authority for Exhibitions and Conventions, the General Corporation for Saudi Arabian Airlines, the General Foundation for the Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea, the King Abdul Aziz Center for Purebred Arabian Horses, the National Center of Meteorology, the Non-Oil Revenue Center, and the National Center for Non-Profit Sector Development.
The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced, on Tuesday, the interception and destruction of 3 ballistic missiles launched by the terrorist Houthi militia supported by Iran towards the eastern region, in addition to two ballistic missiles towards Riyadh, and the interception and destruction of 4 drones launched towards the southern region.
Major General Turki Al-Maliki, the official spokesman for the coalition forces, said that the air defense intercepted and destroyed the ballistic missiles, while the four drones that targeted the southern region were intercepted and destroyed.
For its part, the Saudi Civil Defense announced, on Tuesday, that the danger had passed from Riyadh, Al-Kharj, Al-Hareeq, Abha, Khamis Mushait and Najran, shortly after sounding the early warning sirens in emergency situations, as part of the procedures followed to warn of danger.
According to the instructions he published, he called on residents to immediately go to the nearest safe place, whether inside a building or in an interior room away from windows, and to remain there until the danger passes, and not to leave homes or buildings during the warning period.
He stressed the need to stay away from open spaces, windows and glass, and not to stand on balconies or on the roofs of buildings, explaining that if a person is outside the home, he must enter the nearest building or take shelter behind a solid curtain.
He also warned against gathering, photographing, and approaching dangerous sites, calling on vehicle drivers, when receiving a warning message while driving, to stop on the side of the road, away from bridges, tunnels, and high-rise buildings.
The Civil Defense stressed the importance of obtaining information from its official sources, warning against the circulation of rumors and clips of unknown origin, and stressing the necessity of following instructions issued by the competent authorities through official channels.
The Saudi Civil Defense, through its account on the “X” platform, called on the families and residents to continue to follow instructions, avoid gatherings and photography altogether, and contact the emergency number “998” when needed.
