The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the Cabinet's session at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh this afternoon.

King Salman began by briefing the Cabinet on his meetings with the leaders of the Group of Twenty in Antalya, during which they reviewed aspects of bilateral relations with the Kingdom and keenness on developing them in various fields. 

The Cabinet appreciated the King's directives for donation in the name of the Kingdom to support the various development projects of Digital Good Platform whose goal is to collect donations from individuals around the world to serve international development projects beyond 2015.

The Cabinet was also briefed on the results of the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council for Arab States in its 137th session held in Riyadh.

The Cabinet commended the positions of countries supporting the resolution drafted by the Kingdom condemning intervention in Syria and endorsed by the UN Human Rights Committee and its 115 members states. 

The Cabinet welcomed the return of the Yemeni legitimate government to Aden and its direct supervision of the extensive military operations to liberate the rest of the provinces from Houthi and anti-government militias.

The Cabinet condemned the continuation of Israeli occupation authorities of arbitrary measures against the Palestinian people and the arrest operations of Palestinians in a number of provinces.

The Cabinet reconfirmed the Kingdom's condemnation of all terrorist acts, including the armed terrorist attack on the hotel in the Mali.

The Cabinet emphasized the importance of the events of The Future of Energy in the Middle East and North Africa Forum organized by the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP) in Manama, showing the Kingdom’s cooperation with OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers and consumers to preserve the stability of oil market and prices.

The Cabinet commended the results of Arab Justice Ministers in their 31st session in Cairo under the Kingdom's chairmanship and their agreement on the need for decisive confrontation of the threat of terrorism and the establishment of Arab Network for Judicial Cooperation to fight it.

The Cabinet finalized by discussing a number of local affairs issues including efforts exerted to facilitate the measures for Umrah performers and stressing the importance of 'Family Safety Program' organized by the Department of Health Affairs of the National Guard aimed at strengthening the role of the family in the renunciation of violence, extremism and terrorism.

The Cabinet passed, upon recommendation of the Shura Council, the undeveloped urban lands system. According to the new measure, an annual fee worth 2.5% of the value of any empty plot of land initially allotted for residential or commercial usage inside the city's urban zone for the benefit of a person or more, or non-governmental legal personality will be levied from the owner/s. The executive regulation of the system will fix the standard of how to estimate the land's value and the timetable for gradually imposing the charges, as well as the necessary regulations that guarantee its fair implementation and prevention of evading paying it. The levied fees will be deposited at a special account at the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency which will be, in turn, appropriated for disbursing on housing projects and providing them with public utilities and service supply. According to the decision, the Cabinet will issue a new updated decision within 180 days based on the system's executive regulation, to be issued by the Ministry of Housing in collaboration with relevant bodies. The new system will go into force after 180 days from publishing it in the official gazette.

The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Justice, or his deputy, to discuss and sign a draft memorandum of understanding in the judicial and legal fields with Belarus; authorized the Minister of Finance, or his deputy, to sign a draft agreement on taxes on income and prevention of tax evasion with Kenya; authorized the Minister of Foreign Affairs, or his deputy, to discuss and sign a general agreement on cooperation with Ghana; authorized the Minister of Education,or his deputy,to discuss and sign general agreement on cooperation with UNESCO in the field of establishing a training course for beginner vocational engineers.

The Cabinet approved amendments endorsed by the International Maritime Organization on July 1, 2012 on the sixth appendix of the international agreement to prevent sea pollution caused by vessels 1973.

The Cabinet approved the executive regulation detailing the real estate expropriation for public use system as well as the temporary seizure of real estate.

Upon recommendations of the General Establishment for Pensions and the Shura Council decision No. 64/34 dated 9/7/1436 H, the Cabinet approved the inclusion of the service of whoever falls under Para I of the Cabinet's decision No. 368 dated 18/4/1392 H. which falls after 1/7/1388 H. up to 1/7/1435 H. because of retirement, provided that he/she was on a regular position. This will be in force until a new updated decision based on a study issued by the (abrogated) Civil Service Council on the situations of the companions, their heads and aides referred to in Para I of the legal, regulatory and financial aspects is issued or until 1/7/1440 H. which is first.

The Cabinet was briefed on the annual report of the Ministry of Economy and Planning for the fiscal year 1434 / 1435 H. It took the necessary instructions.