The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired weekly Cabinet's session at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh this afternoon. At the outset, King Salman expressed his sadness over the death of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. King Salman asks Allah Almighty to bestow upon King Abdullah his mercy, forgiveness and eternal peace, and grant him the best reward for his religion and his country.

King Salman said that Saudi Arabia and the whole world “have lost a unique leader who dedicated his life to achieve overall prosperity for his country and its people, building of edifices of science, economics and knowledge, the achievement of the right and the support for the oppressed, as well as brave and effective contribution to the consolidation of peace, security and stability throughout the world.”

King Salman stressed that the orientations and policies of the Kingdom at Arab, Islamic and international arenas are the continuous and constant approach. “We intend to continue to work hard for the service of Islam and to achieve all the best for our loyal and noble people and support Arab and Islamic issues, and contribute to the consolidation of international peace and security and global economic growth and we pray to Allah Almighty to help us to shoulder the responsibility and perform the trust as He loves and pleases.”

The King expressed appreciation to leaders and delegations of Arab, Islamic and friendly countries for their sincere feelings and their stand by the side of the Kingdom in this great loss and their sincere condolences which reflected their feelings toward the Kingdom and its leadership and people.

The King directed the ministers to intensify their efforts and put the interests of the nation and its citizens in the forefront of their priorities and to continue to work towards their greater aspirations by meeting their different needs and requirements with speed and flexibility of achievement.

Then, the King briefed the Cabinet on the outcome of his talks with US President Barack Obama, which focused on the bilateral relationship and international issues of common interest. King Salman also briefed the cabinet on his meeting with King King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain.

The Cabinet then approved the following: amendments to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution (BIPP); authorized the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) to inspect and license buildings used to house pilgrims and Umrah performer; authorized the Ministry of Finance to finance up to 50% of hotel and tourism projects up to a limit of SR100 million ($26.67 million); an agreement on cooperation in the field of municipal affairs with Jordan, signed in Riyadh on 25/04/1435 AH; and the final accounts of Saudi Credit and Savings Bank and Public Pension Agency for the Fiscal Year 2012/2013.