The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the Cabinet's session at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah on Monday afternoon. King Salman began his speech with a prayer on the souls of the victims who lost their lives in the crane accident in the Grand Mosque in Makkah. King Salman also thanked the leaders of the countries who called to express their condolences.

The Cabinet in turn, offered its condolences to the King, the Islamic nation and the families of the deceased people, praying to God to accept them as martyrs and wishing the injured a speedy recovery to be able to complete their Hajj rituals.

The Cabinet reviewed the plans and preparations in serving pilgrims who come from all over the world, taking into consideration the King’s instructions to all sectors to double their efforts in providing the best service and care and assuring the safety of all pilgrims.

The Cabinet congratulated the King Salman on the success of his visit to the United States which resulted in a new strategic partnership and mutual cooperation between the two countries.

The Cabinet was also briefed on the result of the King’s talks with the President of Indonesia, commending deep relations between the two sisterly countries and their keenness on enhancing them in various fields.

The council rejected false accusation that the Kingdom has not done enough for Syrian refuges. The cabinet discussed the false accusations against the Kingdom's efforts on Syrian refugees, stating that nearly two and a half million Syrian citizens were accepted in the Kingdom since the crisis erupted of the war in Syria. The council added that the Syrians receive the best possible care and that the Kingdom will always remain at the forefront of countries supporting the Syrians.

The Cabinet was also briefed on a number of reports on the latest developments on Arab, regional and international arenas, and expressed its condemnation of the terrorist attack which targeted security men in Al-Khamis Police Center in Bahrain.

The Cabinet was then briefed on the efforts made by the coalition forces in the framework of the renewal of hope operation in Yemen.

The Council of Ministers expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of Israeli occupation authorities' attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque, violating its sanctity. The Council also called for an end to Israeli settlement building and the elimination of the established ones, stressing that those settlements are the most dangerous issues that threat the peace process in the region, and appealed to the international community to fulfill its responsibilities and take the necessary measures to protect the Palestinian people from the Israeli aggressive actions.

The Cabinet welcomed the United Nations General Assembly's decision to raise the flag of the State of Palestine as an observer state on the UN headquarters in New York, Geneva, and Vienna. The Cabinet considers the move an additional diplomatic achievement and a step for the full membership of the state of Palestine in the UN.

The Council of Ministers also reviewed the decisions of the 144th session of the Council of the Arab League, and its contents of firm positions of the Arab countries towards various issues of concern to the Arab nation.

The Cabinet concluded its session by discussing a number of domestic affairs, some of which were reviewed by the Shura Council, including granting a license to Qatar National Bank operate in the Kingdom.