Saudi Arabia renews call for efforts to tackle terrorism

Prince Muqrin, deputy crown prince and second deputy premier, chaired a Cabinet session at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah on Monday afternoon that discussed talks between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and King Abdullah II of Jordan on international issues such as the Israeli aggression in Gaza.

Minister of Culture and Information Abdulaziz Khoja said in a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session that the Cabinet renewed the Kingdom’s calls to unify efforts to confront the threat of terrorism and the importance of coordination between countries to eliminate it.

It expressed thanks to King Abdullah for his donation of $100 million to the International Center for Counter-Terrorism because of his belief that terrorism is “an evil causing concern to the international community and threatening all humanity,” said Khoja.

The minister said the Cabinet reviewed latest developments in the region, pointing out that the contents of the final statement from foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council emphasized the importance of concerted efforts to stop the killing of people of the region, protect their interests and fight extremist terrorist movements in order to enhance world security and stability.

The cabinet welcomed the UN Security Council’s decision to cut off funding from armed organizations Daash and Al-Nusrah Front, blacklist a number of people due to their ties to the organizations and threaten to impose sanctions on anybody who helped them.

The Cabinet said a royal decree had been issued that people who participate in hostilities outside the Kingdom in any way or belong to terrorist organizations could be jailed for three to 20 years.

The Cabinet also commended an Organization of Islamic Cooperation statement that criticized the Israeli aggression in Gaza and the worsening humanitarian crisis there.

The Cabinet authorized the minister of foreign affairs to discuss with Burkina Faso a draft agreement on bilateral cooperation.

It also approved a general agreement of cooperation between the Kingdom and the Kyrgyz Republic signed in the city of Bishkek recently to improve economic relations as well as cooperation in the fields of education, scientific research and technical sciences through exchange visits.

The Cabinet approved a number of procedures to make it easier for well-known foreign companies to work in the Kingdom without subjecting them to bureaucratic red tape.

It signed a double taxation agreement with Algeria and also approved discussions with Jordan on possible areas of work between the latter and the Kingdom.

This article was first published in Saudi Gazette on Monday, Aug. 18, 2014.