Sunday's session of the Shoura Council was held under the chairmanship of its Chairman Abdullah Al-Asheikh.

Speaking to reporters, Mohamed Al-Ghamdi, secretary-general of the council, said the amendments moved at the session were to ensure total security and technical protection for nuclear installations that provide energy for peaceful purposes.

The secretary-general said that the amendment was moved with a clear majority at the Sunday's session. He pointed out that the amendments were considered in the light of the other international conventions against the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

He also stressed that amendments were moved to ensure the careful and intelligent use of nuclear energy and nuclear materials not to reach irresponsible  individuals, groups and entities.

The amendments were put forward by the council's Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Saleh Al-Namlah, who said that the changes were proposed following careful deliberations by his committee. 

The Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, signed in 1980, is the only internationally binding undertaking in the area of physical protection of nuclear material. On reading the annual report of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, the council’s Committee on Housing, Water and Public Utilities observed that while appreciating the services carried out by the ministry to serve the people, it also called for active participation by the citizens in development work through municipal councils in all regions in the Kingdom.

Having reviewed the annual report of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), the house recommended the establishment of a fund to attract investments to  develop tourism  sector in the Kingdom. It also suggested the SCTA to set up a holding company in the Tadawul to enhance the development work to promote tourism by SCTA.

While going through the annual report of the Saudi Industrial Development Fund(SIDF), the council members felt that SIDF should also expand its lending services to viable  non-traditional areas such as tourism, communications and information technology.

On Monday, the council is scheduled to discuss the annual reports of the Ministry of Higher Education and the Industrial Development Fund. The Committee of Educational and Scientific Research will submit a draft memorandum of understanding between the Corporation for Technical Education and Vocational Training and the Ministry of Education in Ireland.

On the recommendation of the council’s Foreign Affairs Committee, the house will discuss the salient features in political consultations between the Kingdom and Ukraine.

It will also take up issues related to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, a treaty designed to facilitate international road traffic and to increase road safety by standardizing uniform traffic rules in member countries.