Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, directed on Tuesday all relevant authorities to operate with utmost efficiency and excellence in implementing security, preventive, and organizational plans to serve the Hajj pilgrims in Makkah, Madinah, the holy sites, and at the Kingdom's entry points.
Chairing a Cabinet session held in Jeddah, the Crown Prince specially highlighted the arrangements made to facilitate pilgrim arrivals under the Makkah Route Initiative.
On behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, he welcomed pilgrims arriving in the Kingdom from around the world to perform Hajj rituals.
The Cabinet discussed recent regional and international developments, along with the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to deescalate tensions.
It noted that Saudi Arabia continues to work closely with friendly nations to address crises, reduce tensions, and promote respect for international law in pursuit of a more stable and prosperous world.
The Cabinet also reiterated the Kingdom’s continued efforts to mobilize international support to end violence, protect civilians, and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to affected areas in Palestine.
It reaffirmed commitment to advancing the two-state solution as the only path to achieving lasting peace and security.
The Cabinet strongly condemned the Israeli attacks on Syria's sovereignty and security, warning that the continuation of such violations and extremist policies exacerbates the risk of regional violence and instability.
Also, it called for an immediate end to the war in Sudan and urged efforts to spare the country further suffering and destruction. The Cabinet emphasized that resolving the crisis requires a Sudanese-led political solution that respects the country’s sovereignty and unity and is supported by its national institutions.
At the economic level, the Cabinet confirmed that the record performance of non-oil exports in 2024 and their continued growth reflect the Kingdom's accelerated efforts to diversify income and capitalize on global opportunities to achieve new gains in line with Vision 2030 goals.
It praised the ongoing significant improvements in digital services across vital sectors, which contributed to the Kingdom ranking first among Middle East and North African countries for the third consecutive year in the 2024 Government Electronic and Mobile Services Maturity Index, issued by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
The Cabinet then endorsed a declaration of intent between the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and the French Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty for cooperation in critical minerals.
It also approved an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Djibouti on the promotion and reciprocal protection of investments, and another MoU between the Saudi Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority and Enterprise Estonia in the development of the small and medium enterprises sector and entrepreneurship.
The Cabinet approved a MoU between the Saudi Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority and the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency for cooperation in tax administration.
It also approved the guiding model of a MoU for cooperation in the field of roads between the Saudi Roads General Authority and its counterpart agencies in other countries and another guiding model of a MoU for cooperation in combating human trafficking crimes between the Saudi Human Rights Commission and its counterpart agencies in other countries.
