The Shura Council held its 44th regular session of the second year of the ninth term today, chaired by Deputy Speaker Mishal bin Fahm al-Sulami.

At the outset of the session, the Council reviewed its agenda and the items therein, taking necessary decisions on them, including voting on a number of viewpoints on the annual reports of several government agencies, reconstituting the Council's specialized committees, and appointing committee chairs and deputies for the third Shura year of the ninth term.

Shura Council

The Council issued a decision calling on the Ministry of Health to address employment gaps and cover the need for health cadres and specialties in all regions and governorates.

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The Council took its decision after listening to the viewpoint of the Health Committee, presented by Council member and committee chairman Hassan Al Masloum, regarding members' observations and opinions expressed in a previous session on the annual report of the Ministry of Health for fiscal year 1446/1447 AH.

In its decision, the Council called on the Ministry of Health to tighten oversight of misleading digital health platforms in circulation and to proactively educate the community about them from the outset of their circulation to mitigate their negative effects.

Mental Health Services

The Council also called on the ministry to raise the level of coverage of mental health services, facilitate access, and expand prevention and early intervention programs, follow-up services, and psychological support outside hospitals. The Council affirmed in its decision that the ministry should develop its laboratory and diagnostic services, study the exposure associated with tests referred abroad and localize them to enhance health security. The Council also called on the ministry to study adopting a model to benefit from university hospital facilities and their ready departments. It also affirmed that the ministry should activate its regulatory and supervisory role over the blood supply and transfusion system and related services in all health entities.

In the same context, the Council issued a decision regarding the annual report of the National Center for Mental Health Promotion for fiscal year 1446/1447 AH, calling on the center to raise the level of psychological well-being in work environments, as well as raise community awareness of psychological well-being concepts and reduce the social stigma associated with mental health and its services. The Council took its decision after listening to the viewpoint of the Health Committee regarding members' observations and opinions expressed in a previous session on the center's annual report.

National Strategies

In the same vein, the Council issued a decision regarding the annual report of the National Institute of Health Research for fiscal year 1446/1447 AH, calling on the institute to address delays in implementing its national strategy-related initiatives. The Council took its decision after listening to the viewpoint of the Health Committee regarding members' observations and opinions expressed in a previous session on the institute's annual report. The Council also called on the National Institute of Health Research to develop incentive programs for investment and partnership with the private and non-profit sectors in health research. Separately, the Council issued another decision calling on the Ministry of Tourism to review and update the priorities and indicators of the National Tourism Strategy for the remaining period until 2030, in line with the sector's development level and emerging challenges.

Tourism Growth

The Council took its decision after listening to the viewpoint of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, presented by Council member and committee chairman Hassan Al-Hazmi, regarding members' observations and opinions expressed in a previous session on the annual report of the Ministry of Tourism. The Council called on the ministry to establish a national framework to measure the economic and social impact of the tourism sector at the regional level, enabling assessment of the actual impact of tourism growth on local development.

The Council also called on the Ministry of Tourism to create independent performance indicators to measure the empowerment of national competencies in leadership, supervisory, and specialized positions in the tourism sector, and link their results to the qualification, scholarship, and capacity development programs implemented by the ministry. The Council affirmed that the Ministry of Tourism should develop a governance model for priority tourist destinations to contribute to their development, address tourism gaps, and improve visitor experience. It also affirmed that the ministry should establish a unified national framework for tourism references and standards governing tourism programs, services, and experiences, to improve the quality of tourism outputs and enhance the sector's competitiveness and sustainability.

Makkah Road Initiative

Among the decisions on this session's agenda, the Council issued a decision calling on the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to address the challenges facing pre-departure preparation programs for foreign pilgrims. The Council took its decision after listening to the viewpoint of the Hajj, Housing and Services Committee, presented by Council member and committee chairman Attieh al-Atwi, regarding members' observations and opinions expressed in a previous session on the annual report of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for fiscal year 1446/1447 AH. The Council called on the ministry to address the stalling of the initiative to establish and operate joint transport and operations centers, and to expand the Makkah Road Initiative to include countries with the highest numbers of pilgrims. In the same context, the Council issued a decision calling on the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Park Foundation to adopt smart park principles, including the use of smart technologies and sensory design within current design phases, to enhance operational efficiency and improve visitor experience.

Financial Sustainability

The Council took its decision after listening to the viewpoint of the Hajj, Housing and Services Committee regarding members' observations and opinions expressed in a previous session on the annual report of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Park Foundation for fiscal year 1446/1447 AH. The Council called on the foundation to align design decisions with future financial sustainability requirements to help reduce reliance on government spending in the future. During this session, the Council also issued a decision regarding the annual report of the Ministry of Economy and Planning for fiscal year 1446/1447 AH, calling on the ministry to build a sustainable mechanism to measure the economic impact of regulations after their enactment, to enhance the efficiency of economic legislation and support the competitiveness of the business environment. The Council took its decision after listening to the viewpoint of the Financial and Economic Committee, presented by Council member and committee chairman Fahd al-Takhaifi, regarding members' observations and opinions expressed in a previous session on the ministry's annual report.

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