Saudi Arabia said Monday that it would outlaw the dissemination of information on the Internet that may benefit terrorist groups in line with a decision taken by GCC leaders.
The Council of Ministers, chaired by Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, approved the “unified legislation against cyber crime,” which the Gulf Cooperation Council adopted in December.
The legislation targets those who “create sites and publish information on the Internet or a computer network for the benefit of a terrorist group in order to enable contacts among its leaders or its members, to promote its views or funding,” said Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja following the cabinet meeting.
It also prohibits “the dissemination of ideas that could affect public order or morality,” he said. Most members of the GCC, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, have tightened their laws against cyber crime in recent years.
The Cabinet followed up international efforts and measures aimed at deterring the Syrian regime from committing more inhumane practices against the Syrian people, renewing the Kingdom’s firm position toward the crisis and its calls on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities to save the Syrian people.
The Cabinet stressed that among the most important reasons for instability in the Middle East is the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, the rejection of international initiatives by Israeli authorities initiatives and resolutions and their insistence on aggravating the situation through inhumane practices against the Palestinian people.
The Cabinet condemned Israel’s acts of aggression on worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque after Friday prayers, the ongoing attacks on the mosque and the continuous building of Jewish settlements.
The minister said that the Council of Ministers touched on the Kingdom’s participation at G-20 summit meetings, commending the adoption of the St. Petersburg action plan to promote strong, balanced and sustainable growth, as well as to strengthen the international financial structure and the global financial system to reduce risks.
The Cabinet approved a framework agreement in the agricultural, livestock and fisheries fields with Sudan. It also approved the standardization and gauging system, as well as the national strategy for traffic safety and set up a higher committee to supervise the plan.
The Cabinet appointed Abdullah bin Marzouq Al-Zahrani ambassador at the Foreign Ministry; Abdullah bin Ahmed Al-Askar deputy mayor of Riyadh; Abdul Aziz bin Sultan Al-Molhem undersecretary at the Ministry of Culture and Information; Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al-Ebad director-general of the office of the president of the Supreme Judiciary Council; and Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz Al-Dihaishi legal consultant at the Supreme Judiciary Council.
Terror websites outlawed
