JEDDAH: The Saudi Cabinet on Tuesday agreed that the state will bear the government costs of relocation and change of status for displaced persons from neighboring countries who are granted permission to live in the Kingdom.
Authorities will pay fees relating to residency, work permits, changes of employment and employer, service transfer fees, profession amendment fees, and the costs of to private-sector businesses of employing the expatriate for a period of four years, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Kingdom will also cover all fees previously incurred and any fines related to violations of residency regulations by individuals and those accompanying them.
The decision was taken during the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah.
At the start of the session, the crown prince praised King Salman and the combined efforts by state agencies to provide services to pilgrims during Ramadan that meet the highest levels of care and quality, enabling them to perform rituals and worship during the holy month with ease.
He then briefed ministers on a message he received from the Ethiopian prime minister about ways in which relations between their countries might be supported and enhanced in various fields.
Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said the Cabinet discussed ways to improve cooperation and coordination with several countries within the frameworks provided by regional and international organizations, in support of collective action to achieve stability, prosperity and sustainable development goals.
Ministers hailed the launch of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Vision for Regional Security, which aims to maintain stability in the region, the prosperity of its countries and peoples, and enhance international peace and security.
Council members said the selection of the Kingdom to chair the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in the UN in 2025 was testament to the country’s commitment to international cooperation on issues related to the rights and empowerment of women, building on its achievements in this area in recent years.
On the local front, the Cabinet reviewed the outcomes of the 31st annual meeting of the governors of Saudi Arabia’s regions, and stressed the desire to enhance the comprehensive process of development in all parts of the Kingdom, including continued improvement to the services provided for citizens and residents, and other measures to improve quality of life.
Al-Dossary said the ministers noted the success of efforts by the state to provide more job, training and qualification opportunities for the youth of the nation, which has helped to reduce the unemployment rate among Saudis to its lowest historical level of 7.7 percent in the fourth quarter of last year.
Cabinet members also reaffirmed the Kingdom’s determination to restore and preserve historical sites to achieve the goals of Vision 2030, and in a way that reflects the Arab and Islamic richness of the country. The ministers praised the completion of a project to support and protect 56 buildings at risk of collapse within the Jeddah Historic District.
The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding on political consultations between the ministries of foreign affairs of the Kingdom and the Dominican Republic.
It also approved two memorandums of understanding with the Ministry of Justice in the Kingdom and its counterparts in North Macedonia and the Comoros.
The council of ministers authorized the minister of investment to sign a draft memorandum of understanding with San Marino for cooperation in the field of encouraging direct investment.
It also authorized the minister of economy and planning to sign a draft economic cooperation agreement with Serbia.
The ministers approved a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi government and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for cooperation in public policy.
Another memorandum of understanding was approved between the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority in the Kingdom and the Iraqi Authority for the Control of Radioactive Sources in the field of nuclear safety and radiation protection.
Two agreements that were signed with the governments of Barbados and Mali in the field of air transport services were also approved, along with a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi General Authority for Statistics and Bahrain’s Information and e-Government Authority regarding cooperation in the field of statistics.
The chief of State Security has been authorized to sign a draft memorandum of understanding between the Presidency of State Security and Pakistan’s Military Intelligence Service on combating terrorist crimes and its financing.
Meanwhile, the minister of environment, water and agriculture and chairman of the board of directors of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation has been delegated to sign a draft memorandum of understanding between SWCC and the Korea Maritime and Ocean University in South Korea, in the field of seawater desalination.
