The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Chairs Cabinet Session in Riyadh

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet session held today in Riyadh.

 The Cabinet congratulated citizens and Muslims on the approaching holy month of Ramadan, expressing gratitude for the Kingdom's honor in caring for the two holy mosques and their visitors. The Cabinet highlighted the success of the Hajj and Umrah seasons, noting that the Kingdom welcomed 19.5 million international pilgrims and Umrah performers in 2025, setting new records that reflect rapid progress toward the goals of Vision 2030 and the Pilgrim Experience Program.

 The Cabinet described the Kingdom's Founding Day celebration on Sunday, February 22, as an expression of pride in the Saudi state's nearly three-century historical depth, emphasizing the foundations of justice, unity, and development established by leaders and citizens throughout history to ensure the nation remains a global leader across all fields.

 Following the session, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary stated to the Saudi Press Agency that the Cabinet was briefed on recent talks between Saudi Arabia and various nations, which focused on strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation and enhancing coordination to foster regional and international security, stability, and prosperity.

 Regarding regional developments, the Cabinet condemned the Israeli occupation authorities' decision to designate West Bank lands as "state lands." Reiterating its absolute rejection of these illegal measures, the Cabinet stated they undermine peace efforts and violate the Palestinian people's inherent right to establish an independent, sovereign state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

 The session further reviewed the Kingdom's economic, cultural, and social activities, emphasizing the state's commitment to social solidarity and giving. This includes continued support for the sixth National Campaign for Charitable Work, set to begin this Friday.

 The Cabinet commended the success of the third World Defense Show held in Riyadh under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' patronage, during which strategic partnerships, agreements, and memoranda of understanding were signed to localize military technologies and strengthen local supply chains in alignment with Vision 2030 objectives.

 The Cabinet addressed other items on its agenda and issued several decisions, including the following:

 First:

 Authorizing the chairman of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, or a deputy, to discuss and sign a draft cooperation memorandum with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in the field of urban management and development.

 Second:

 Authorizing the minister of culture and chairman of the board of trustees of the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, or a deputy, to discuss and sign a draft cooperation memorandum with Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties in the field of traditional arts.

 Third:

 Approving a memorandum of understanding for cooperation between the Saudi Ministry of Justice and the Italian Ministry of Justice.

 Fourth:

 Authorizing the minister of environment, water and agriculture, or a deputy, to discuss and sign a draft memorandum of understanding with the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture for cooperation in areas related to palm and date cultivation.

 Fifth:

 Authorizing the minister of media, or a deputy, to discuss and sign a draft cooperation memorandum with the Bahraini National Communication Centre in the field of government communication.

 Sixth:

 Authorizing the minister of communications and information technology and chairman of the board of directors of the Digital Government Authority, or a deputy, to discuss and sign a draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of digital government between the authority and the Algerian High Commission for Digitization.

 Seventh:

 Authorizing the minister of health and chairman of the board of directors of the Public Health Authority, or a deputy, to discuss and sign a draft memorandum of understanding between the authority and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the field of health security, disease prevention, and control.

 Eighth:

 Approving a memorandum of understanding between the General Department of Financial Investigation at the Presidency of State Security in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and China Anti-Money Laundering Monitoring and Analysis Center for cooperation in the exchange of financial investigations related to money laundering, terrorism financing, and associated crimes.

 Ninth:

 Authorizing the president of the General Court of Audit, or a deputy, to discuss and sign a draft memorandum of understanding with the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts for cooperation in the field of accounting, auditing, and professional work.

 Tenth:

 Approving a national strategy for biosecurity and safety.

 Eleventh:

 Approving the regulations for the retention of vehicles registered in one of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

 Twelfth:

 Amending the charter of the Esports World Cup Foundation to rename it the Esports Foundation.