Saudi Crown Prince chairs cabinet session in Riyadh; ministers review Gaza, Davos, housing, investment and air connectivity

SPA

Riyadh, Jan 27 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the Cabinet session held in Riyadh on Tuesday.

At the outset of the session, the Crown Prince briefed the Cabinet on a message received from Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa addressing relations between the two countries.

The Cabinet reviewed regional and international developments and reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting the mission of the Board of Peace in Gaza as a transitional authority to end the conflict, facilitate reconstruction and pave the way for security and stability for the countries and peoples of the region.

In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said the Cabinet commended the Kingdom’s delegation at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos and highlighted progress toward Saudi Vision 2030 goals. The Cabinet also welcomed Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the WEF Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting on April 22–23.

The Cabinet expressed appreciation for King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s patronage of the third Global Labor Market Conference in Riyadh, citing agreements focused on workforce empowerment, the use of artificial intelligence and building sustainable ecosystems. It also commended the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center for launching its 2026 plan comprising 422 humanitarian projects worldwide.

The Cabinet reviewed reports on completed and ongoing projects and praised the Housing Program’s progress, including raising the citizen homeownership rate to 66.2% by the end of 2025, with beneficiaries exceeding one million.

The Cabinet also noted that more than 700 international companies have established regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, reflecting infrastructure development and an increasingly attractive business environment.

It described the opening of a new expansion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and the inauguration of Al-Jouf International Airport as key steps to expand air connectivity and improve the passenger experience under the National Transport and Logistics Strategy aligned with Vision 2030.

The Cabinet then addressed other items and issued decisions, including authorising the minister of energy, or a deputy, to discuss and sign with Türkiye a draft intergovernmental agreement on renewable energy plant projects; authorising the minister of interior, or a deputy, to discuss and sign with Türkiye a draft memorandum on cooperation in civil defence and civil protection; and authorising the minister of foreign affairs, or a deputy, to discuss and sign with Trinidad and Tobago a draft general cooperation agreement.

It also authorised the minister of environment, water and agriculture, or a deputy, to discuss and sign with Bangladesh a draft memorandum on cooperation related to the date palm and date sector; approved a draft memorandum with Türkiye on social services; approved a draft investment encouragement and protection agreement with Morocco; and approved a draft general cooperation agreement with Estonia.

In addition, the Saudi Authority of Internal Auditors was authorised to discuss and sign draft memoranda of understanding with the Institute of Internal Auditors of the United Kingdom and the New York Institute of Internal Auditors of the United States covering internal auditing, governance, risk and compliance.

The Cabinet also approved draft air transport services agreements with Mongolia, Saint Lucia, Algeria, Latvia, São Tomé and Príncipe, and South Africa.