Saudi Arabia Asserts Need to Promote Dialogue, Respect Among Peoples

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, chaired the Cabinet session at al-Salam Palace in Jeddah (SPA)
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, chaired the Cabinet session at al-Salam Palace in Jeddah (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Asserts Need to Promote Dialogue, Respect Among Peoples

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, chaired the Cabinet session at al-Salam Palace in Jeddah (SPA)
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, chaired the Cabinet session at al-Salam Palace in Jeddah (SPA)

Saudi Arabia has stressed the importance of nurturing and exerting international efforts to promote dialogue and respect among peoples and cultures and rejecting all acts instating hatred and extremism.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, chaired the cabinet session held on Tuesday at al-Salam Palace in Jeddah.

The cabinet addressed several regional and international developments, including Sudan and Niger, reiterating the Kingdom's call for prioritizing the national interest in these two countries and halting military escalation.

It also stressed Saudi Arabia's rejection of the coup d'état that overturned the legitimate president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum.

The session reviewed the outcome of the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, convened upon the request by Saudi Arabia and Iraq to discuss repeated acts of burning copies of the Holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark.

The meeting also reviewed the talks held by the Kingdom with several other countries over the past few days aiming to strengthen relations and partnerships to serve common interests and nurture friendship and cooperation in various fields.

Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources and Acting Minister of Media Bandar bin Ibrahim al-Khorayef announced that the cabinet touched on the most prominent national economy performance indicators at the local level.

It also addressed the positive ratings and expectations of major international institutions that predict continued growth next year, propped by investments in mega projects in the non-oil sector.

Khorayef said that the government expressed satisfaction with the results of the economic and financial reforms aimed at stimulating economic growth and strengthening the Kingdom's financial position to ensure financial sustainability and prosperity.

During the meeting, the cabinet issued several decisions and approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Energy and the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy for cooperation in electricity, renewable energy, and clean hydrogen.

It authorized the Minister of Energy, or a deputy, to hold discussions with the Bulgarian side on a draft MoU for cooperation in energy between the two governments.

The cabinet permitted the Minister of Sports, or a deputy, to discuss a draft MoU for cooperation with the Bahraini General Sports Authority.

The Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, or a deputy, is authorized to discuss drafting memoranda of understanding in agricultural fields with the Polish, Tajik, and Mozambique sides.

The cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in intellectual property between the Saudi Authority of Intellectual Property and the Intellectual Property Office of the UK and another between the Saudi Control and Anti-Corruption Authority and the Chinese National Supervisory Commission.

The Saudi Chief of State Security, or a deputy, is authorized to discuss with the Japanese side a draft statement of cooperation between the General Administration of Financial Investigation at the Presidency of State Security and the Japan Financial Intelligence Center at the National Public Safety Commission on money laundering and financing terrorism.

In coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the session authorized the Saudi Space Agency to take the measures needed to join the Charter establishing the Space for Climate Observatory (SCO).

Furthermore, the cabinet authorized the Minister of Media and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) to discuss with the Chinese side a draft cooperation MoU with the China Media Group.

It also transferred the supervision of the Madinah Peace Museum to the Ministry of Culture.

The cabinet appointed Rami al-Turki and Khaled bin Saleh al-Khattaf, both private sector representatives, as members of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones.

It named Mohammed al-Shatawi as a member and renewed the membership of Jamil al-Melhem and Yousef al-Yousifi, both from the private sector, in the Board of Directors of the Saudi Post.

The cabinet also reviewed several issues on its agenda and took necessary measures.



Qatar to Reopen Its Embassy in Syria on Tuesday

 A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)
A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)
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Qatar to Reopen Its Embassy in Syria on Tuesday

 A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)
A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)

Qatar will reopen its embassy in Syria on Tuesday after it was closed for more than 13 years, the Gulf country's foreign ministry said on Sunday, a week after Bashar al-Assad was removed from power.

Qatar's embassy in Damascus has been shut since July 2011 when it withdrew its ambassador from Damascus after a series of deadly crackdowns by Assad's regime on protesters - violence that led to the 13-year-long civil war.

Doha in recent years did not join efforts by several Arab countries to mend relations with Assad's government and re-establish diplomatic relations with Damascus.

A lightning advance by the opposition, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group led to the ouster of Assad on Dec. 8.

Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement its decision to reopen the embassy reflects its support for the Syrian people and their "struggle to attain their legitimate rights for a dignified life".