In a statement issued after the weekly meeting, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, the Cabinet urged the international community to stop Israel’s provocations.
The Kingdom also warned that Israel’s settlement expansion policy and its siege of the Palestinian people would destroy hopes for peace. "Israel’s intensive settlement expansion policy aims at changing the demography of the Palestinian territories," the Cabinet said.
Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja, who briefed the press about Cabinet decisions, said the Council commended the global reputation of the King Faisal International Prize, adding that it encourages researchers in different fields. King Abdullah distributed the prizes last week.
The Cabinet authorized Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif to hold talks with officials concerned and sign agreements with Arab countries on combating IT crimes, money laundering, terror funding and transfer of inmates from jails and reformatories.
The meeting approved new rules and regulations for accepting scholarship applications of non-Saudis at higher educational institutions in the Kingdom, Khoja said but did not elaborate on the new regulations.
The Cabinet reshuffled the board of directors of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority. The new members, who are appointed for three years, are: Manir Mahmoud Rafie, Abdullah bin Hassan Al-Asheikh, Salim bin Muhammad Al-Malik, Khalaf bin Rabah Al-Shammari, Abdul Rahman bin Saud Al-Belaihed, Muwaffek bin Atta Al-Bayuk and Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Abubacker.
The Cabinet also approved a law that allows the wife of an employee on overseas duty, who has won acceptance at a higher education institution, to have membership in the foreign mission soon after joining a program to learn the language. It also authorized Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf to sign an agreement with the International Finance Corporation for its headquarters in the Kingdom.
The Cabinet appointed Abdul Aziz bin Muhammad Al-Souli administrative expert at the Court of Grievances, Abdul Rahman bin Suleiman Al-Zenaidi civil consultant at the Riyadh governorate, Ibrahim bin Suleiman Al-Moussa director general of customs and Munief bin Darwish Al-Sumairy director of administrative and financial affairs at the Customs Department.
