The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the Cabinet's weekly session at Al-Yamama Palace in Riyadh this afternoon. King Salman began the meeting by briefed the Cabinet on his talks with foreign leaders and ministers. The Cabinet was briefed on the latest regional and international issues, including Operation Decisive Storm.

The Cabinet welcomed the decision by Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi to appointing Prime Minister Khalid Bahah as vice president, calling the appointment an important step at restoring security and stability to Yemen.

The Cabinet condemned the Houthi militia’s continued terrorization of the Yemeni population and the indiscriminate shelling of civilian centers. They also welcomed the moves by Yemeni military unit commanders and personnel who took the initiative to communicate with their legitimate government and declared their loyalty to it.

The Cabinet also denounced the terror attacks on Egyptian security forces in northern Sinai and expressed its condolences to the government and people of Egypt and families of the victims.

The Cabinet then approved the following: ministerial project contracts and purchase orders greater than SR 100 million ($26.67 million) must be approved by the King, including modifications or addendums to existing contracts, authorizing the Minister of Foreign Affairs, or his deputy, to negotiate a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) on political consultations with Kazakhstan and MoU on cooperation with Nepal; and the Ministry of Civil Service’s recommendation to exclude some civil service jobs from competitive class; and the renewal of membership members of board of directors of Grain Silos and Flour Mills Organization for three years.