RIYADH: The Cabinet praised the efforts of the Saudi naval forces in preventing three boats from entering the Kingdom’s territorial waters, and seizing one of them.
Earlier, an official source said the boat was loaded with weapons for subversive purposes and was seized heading toward Saudi’s Marjan oil field platforms.
In a meeting chaired by King Salman bin Abdul Aziz on Monday at Safa Palace in Makkah, the Cabinet stressed the Kingdom’s keenness to fight terrorism, acts of sabotage and protect the security of the country from any attack.
In a similar situation, the Cabinet appreciated security measures to preserve order, deter criminals and bring those behind these acts to justice. In this context, they referred to an event where security forces in Qatif pursued a car carrying two wanted criminals, which subsequently caught fire and exploded.
The Cabinet said the king’s order for the payment of SR1.6 billion ($426.6 million) to beneficiaries of social insurance, including patients, the aged, widows, and orphans, in the holy month of Ramadan, reflects his keenness to provide everything that will ensure a decent life for these individuals.
Furthermore, they discussed the bombing of three trucks belonging to the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in Marib, Yemen, a threat to humanitarian work as part of the siege imposed by the Houthi militia, which has resulted in famine and disruption of medical and food aid to the needy.
At the foreign level, the Cabinet expressed the Kingdom’s condemnation of the explosions and terror attacks in Egypt, Bahrain and Somalia. Likewise, the Cabinet renewed Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of the terror attacks on worshippers near Finsbury Mosque in London and an attempted terror attack in Paris and, at the same time, expressed the Kingdom’s rejection of all forms of terrorism and extremism.
Later, the Cabinet approved the following series of decisions:
• The Cabinet approved a memo of understanding for cooperation in the area of industry and trade between the Kingdom and Egypt.
• The Cabinet approved a memo of understanding for cooperation in the area of agriculture between the Kingdom and Kazakhstan.
• The Cabinet approved a memo of scientific and educational cooperation between the ministries of education of the Kingdom and Turkmenistan.
• The Cabinet approved a memo of understanding in the area of labor between the Kingdom and the United Mexican States.
• The Cabinet approved an agreement in the area of air transport services between the Kingdom and New Zealand.
• The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Finance, or whomever he authorizes, to discuss with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) a draft memo of understanding in the area of customs cooperation and a joint market between the Kingdom and the UAE.
• The Cabinet approved an agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear energy between the Saudi and Egyptian governments.
• The Cabinet approved the establishment of a national program named the “National Program to Support Hobbies and Activities” (Da’aim), under the supervision of a body designated by the Prime Minister. The program aims to support and develop the hobby sector and related activities and events.