The Cabinet meeting, which was held in Al-Salam Palace, backed the statement made by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah denouncing the oppressive policies of the Syrian government.
In his frank and strong statement, King Abdullah said the murder of citizens in the country was totally against the teachings of Islam and moral values. "Saudi Arabia cannot accept what is happening now in Syria," the king said urging immediate halt of bloodbath.
The Cabinet meeting also referred to the calls made by the Gulf Cooperation Council and the UN Security Council to end violence and bloodletting in Syria.
The Kingdom also condemned Israel's plan to construct 900 new homes in the occupied Jabal Abughunaim. "The expansion of illegitimate settlements shows Israel's intent to destroy global efforts to resume peace negotiations to reinforce peace and stability in the region," the Cabinet said in a statement.
The Cabinet, chaired by King Abdullah, heard a report from Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif about the outcome of the regional governors' meeting. He spoke about new projects in Makkah and Madinah to improve services for pilgrims.
The Cabinet approved the rules and regulations for concluding specialized training contracts by government agencies. It also authorized Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf to sign an agreement with Azerbaijan for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of tax evasion. The meeting also agreed to sign an IT agreement with Egypt.
The Cabinet appointed Saleh bin Aamir Al-Khashyal as ambassador, Adnan bin Ibrahim Farhat, minister plenipotentiary at the Foreign Ministry, Abdullah bin Mousa Al-Tayer administrative consultant at the Ministry of Higher Education, and Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Shahry, director general at the Presidency of General Intelligence.
