The virtual meeting was chaired by the king, who began the session by thanking the leaders of Arab, Islamic and other friendly countries who wished him well during his recent hospital stay, during which he had surgery to remove his gall bladder. He also expressed his gratitude to residents of the Kingdom for their kind thoughts and prayers. The 84-year-old was released from hospital on July 30, and recently arrived in the NEOM economic zone for a period of rest and relaxation.

Ministers noted the achievement of Saudi authorities in successfully implementing precautionary measures to protect pilgrims and prevent the spread of the coronavirus during the recent, and highly unusual, Hajj season. In a sign of their effectiveness, it was noted that the decision to severely limit the number of pilgrims to a few thousand, and restrict participation to people already resident in Saudi Arabia, was widely welcomed by the Muslim and international communities.

Issam bin Saad, the acting minister of media said that the cabinet also reviewed a number of reports on the latest local and international developments in the coronavirus pandemic. More than 4 million tests for the virus have been carried out in the Kingdom, ministers heard, as the authorities continue to strive to maximize protection and provide the highest standards of care for citizens and residents. In cooperation with the World Health Organization, they are also monitoring the latest trials and local and international research on vaccines.

The cabinet reviewed the final statement and “Partners for Sustainable Peace in Sudan Declaration” of the eighth meeting of the Friends of Sudan, which was hosted last week by the Kingdom in a video conference.

The participants emphasized the importance of: respecting the sovereignty of Sudan and its right to make independent decisions; addressing the causes of the conflict to reach a comprehensive peace that strengthens national unity and regional security; and the need for partners in the peace process to take responsibility for helping to achieve security, justice and sustainable peace.

The Kingdom, in its capacity as head of the Friends of Sudan, affirmed the importance of supporting the country to preserve the security and safety of the region and the wider international community.

Misters reiterated the Kingdom’s determination to continue its efforts to achieve security, stability, peace and development in Yemen, and its commitment to the new mechanism it has proposed to accelerate the implementation of the 2019 Riyadh Agreement between the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council.

This agreement is viewed by many as the most effective potential solution to the disputes and conflicts in the country. It aims to prioritize the needs and interests of the Yemeni people, unite them and preserve their Arab identity, support the establishment of an inclusive Yemeni government in the city of Aden, and support UN efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution to the crisis in the country.

The cabinet also discussed a joint statement issued by the ministers of energy from the Kingdom, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Iraq in response to recent developments in global oil markets and the continued recovery in the global economy.

They stated their continued commitment to the recent OPEC Plus agreement, and highlighted the importance of achieving its targets for production levels to accelerate the rebalancing of the global oil market and boost its recovery to benefit producers, consumers, the energy industry and the global economy.