Saudi cabinet okays establishing 10 private colleges

RIYADH: In a meeting chaired by the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, Saudi authorities on Tuesday approved the establishment of 10 private colleges in the kingdom, local media reported.

Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary in a statement to the local media outlet following the session said that the cabinet reviewed recent international developments and reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to promoting regional and international security and peace, assisting in the pursuit of political solutions to crises, and bolstering multilateral cooperation to address global challenges.

The King’s yearly speech, which was given by the Crown Prince on his behalf and kicked off the first year of the ninth session of the Shoura Council, was enthusiastically applauded by the Cabinet members.

In addition to outlining Saudi Arabia’s aims, objectives, and accomplishments, the address underlined the Kingdom’s unshakable commitment to advancing global peace and prosperity.

The King’s royal order approving the King Salman Non-profit Foundation’s statutes was welcomed by the Cabinet members. They applauded the foundation for being a manifestation of King Salman’s dedication to human growth and the construction of sustainable societies, as well as an extension of his long history of humanitarian and benevolent activities.

In keeping with the Arab Peace Initiative and pertinent international resolutions, the Cabinet applauded the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the resolution demanding an end to the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories and emphasized the need for real, credible steps to be taken in order to reach a fair and comprehensive resolution to the Palestinian problem.

“The Kingdom believes that this pact can contribute to establishing a modern and equitable international system that fosters rapid progress toward sustainable development goals, addresses the needs of all nations, bridges the digital gap, and supports emerging economies to strengthen the global financial system,” the session maintained.

A number of measures were approved by the Cabinet, including the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ghana Export Promotion Authority and the Saudi Export Development Authority and the updated protocol for the formation of a Saudi-Turkish coordination committee.

The Minister of Culture or his deputy has been authorized by the Council to discuss and sign a draft Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation with the Ministry of People’s Power for Culture in Venezuela. Similarly, the Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture or his deputy has been authorized to discuss and sign a draft Memorandum of Understanding for environmental protection with the Ministry of Tourism and Environment in Albania.

The Finance Minister and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Center for Privatization (NCP) or his deputy were also authorized by the Cabinet to discuss and sign a draft Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the area of public-private partnerships with the French Infrastructure Financing Agency, as well as to discuss and sign a draft Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in promoting direct investment with the Panamanian Authority for the Attraction of Investments and the Promotion of Exports.