The Cabinet, in a session held yesterday chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in Jeddah, approved exempting the elderly with no income, persons with disabilities, and orphans with special circumstances who have no guardian, who are beneficiaries of the social security system, from adding dependents in the residence for calculating the minimum pension. At the outset of the session, the Cabinet reviewed the content of the phone call received by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, from the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and the discussions held on areas of joint cooperation between the two countries, regional and international developments, and diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region. The Council strongly condemned the continued Iranian aggressions against the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Bahrain, and against the security and freedom of maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which constitutes a violation of international law and the UN Charter, reiterating Saudi Arabia's solidarity with the two brotherly countries and its full support for all measures they take to preserve their sovereignty and security. Minister of Media, Mr. Salman bin Yousuf Al-Dosari, explained in his statement to the Saudi Press Agency after the session that the Cabinet discussed Saudi Arabia's overall participation in regional and international meetings, within its interest in strengthening ties of cooperation with brotherly and friendly countries, advancing multilateral work towards further progress in various fields, and enhancing collective response to current challenges in the region and the world. In this context, the Council expressed its support for the outcomes of the ministerial meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United States of America, which included affirmation of the two sides' strategic partnership and continued coordination and consultation on international issues of mutual interest, contributing to regional security and stability and protecting common interests. Domestically, the Cabinet reviewed the tracks for developing infrastructure in various regions of the Kingdom and preparing it to accommodate continuous growth, noting in this context the launch of the new phase of the Developed Neighborhoods Program in Mecca, and the start of implementing projects of the (fourth) group of the program for developing circular and main road axes in Riyadh, which will contribute, God willing, to keeping pace with urban expansion, improving the urban landscape, quality of life, and transport services. The Council praised the launch of the (first) edition of Saudi Water Week, which represents a national, regional, and international platform that enhances global dialogue, Arab priorities, and the Kingdom's pivotal role in this sector, and its continuous efforts to innovate practical solutions and qualitative partnerships that translate the goals of achieving water security, efficient use of natural resources, and accelerating joint work towards a more sustainable water future. The Council appreciated the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) winning the United Nations Public Service Award for 2026, adding to the series of achievements the Kingdom has made in utilizing data and modern technologies to serve development and build a sustainable knowledge-based digital economy. The Cabinet commended the efforts of the Ministry of Interior and the effectiveness of its proactive security plans in combating drugs, apprehending smugglers and promoters, and the achievements and successes achieved, by God's grace, in confronting this scourge and addressing its dangers, enhancing community security and preserving its gains. Approvals: The Council reviewed the items on its agenda, including items that the Shura Council had studied, and reviewed the conclusions of the Political and Security Affairs Council, the Economic and Development Affairs Council, the General Committee of the Cabinet, and the Cabinet's Expert Committee on them, and the Council resolved the following: First: Approval of two general cooperation agreements between the government of Saudi Arabia and the governments of the Slovak Republic and the Republic of Slovenia. Second: Approval of a memorandum of understanding between the government of Saudi Arabia and the government of the Republic of South Africa for cooperation in the field of labor. Third: Authorizing the Minister of Investment, or his delegate, to sign a draft bilateral agreement for investment protection between the government of Saudi Arabia and the government of the Republic of India. Fourth: Approval of a memorandum of understanding between the government of Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority for Competition, and the government of the Kingdom of Bahrain, represented by the Authority for Encouraging and Protecting Competition. Fifth: Approval of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Sports in Saudi Arabia and the Sports Administration affiliated with the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in the Italian Republic for cooperation in the field of sports. Sixth: Approval of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Mining of the Republic of Chile in the field of mineral resources. Seventh: Approval of a memorandum of scientific and educational cooperation between the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia and the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States). Eighth: Authorizing the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Geological Survey, or his delegate, to negotiate with the Pakistani side on a draft memorandum of understanding for scientific geological cooperation between the Saudi Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Pakistan, and to sign it. Ninth: Approval of a memorandum of understanding between the Presidency of State Security in Saudi Arabia and the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic in the field of combating terrorism and its financing. Tenth: Approval of a memorandum of cooperation between the King Abdulaziz Foundation in Saudi Arabia and the Federal Archival Agency in the Russian Federation. Eleventh: Exempting the elderly with no income, persons with disabilities, and orphans with special circumstances who have no guardian, who are beneficiaries of the social security system, from adding dependents in the residence for calculating the minimum pension. Twelfth: The calculation of the maximum year for heavy transport truck models allowed for import into the Kingdom shall be based on the model year instead of the year of manufacture. Thirteenth: Renewal of the membership of Dr. Nouf bint Abdulaziz Al-Ghamdi on the Board of Directors of the National Center for Social Studies and Research, and appointment of Dr. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Shaya, Dr. Bashir bin Ali Al-Shammari, Dr. Lana bint Hassan bin Saeed, Dr. Mona bint Abdullah Al-Mushait, and Mr. Abdulaziz bin Fawzan Al-Fahad as members of the Board of Directors of the Center. Fourteenth: Approval of the final accounts for the Saudi Fund for Development, the National Center for Water Efficiency and Rationalization, the National Health Insurance Center, the Social Development Bank, and the Islamic University in Medina for previous fiscal years. Fifteenth: Directing the necessary action regarding a number of items on the Cabinet's agenda, including annual reports from the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority, the Agricultural Development Fund, and the University of Jazan. Promotions: Approval of promotions to rank (15), as follows:

Promotion of Ali bin Ghanem Al Arfan to the position of (Deputy Secretary) at rank (15) in the Riyadh Region Secretariat.