Saudi Arabia approves cooperation agreement with US for the use of outer space for peaceful purposes

Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Cabinet session, chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday, approved a framework agreement for cooperation in the fields of air navigation and the exploration and use of airspace and outer space for peaceful purposes between Saudi Arabia and the United States of America. The Council also approved, in principle, the national general framework and guiding principles for foreign direct investment.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said that the Cabinet highlighted Saudi Arabia’s relentless endeavors to promote peace and security in the region. The Council reiterated its call for a joint Arab-Islamic follow-up summit on Nov. 11 to discuss the continued Israeli aggression on the Palestinian and Lebanese territories, in addition to the current developments in the region.

The Cabinet noted that the Kingdom’s keenness in this regard is evident from its hosting of the first meeting of the Global Alliance for Implementation of the Two-State Solution, in which 90 countries and regional and international organizations took part to discuss establishing an independent Palestinian state.

At the outset of the session, the Crown Prince briefed the Cabinet on the gist of his meetings and talks with leaders of several friendly countries, which focused on bilateral relations and ways to boost them in various fields. The Council praised the outcome of the third meeting of the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council security committee, and the initiatives carried out that contribute to advancing the strong fraternal relations toward new horizons.

The Cabinet commended the outcome of the second ministerial meeting of the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council economic and investment committee, noting the progress toward achieving the two countries’ common goals, particularly in the fields of industry, infrastructure, technology, agriculture, food security, climate sciences, and sustainable transportation.

The Cabinet discussed the Kingdom’s participation in the recent G20 meetings, during which it highlighted the efforts to promote sustainability in education, invest in innovation and entrepreneurship, and its ongoing contributions to addressing global health challenges.

Al-Dossary said that the Cabinet emphasized that the only viable path to resolving the crisis in Sudan is political, and that it reiterated its call on the warring parties to comply with the Jeddah Declaration signed on May 11, 2023. It urged the Sudanese parties to halt hostilities, end the conflict, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need.

On the domestic front, the Cabinet noted the Kingdom’s significant advancement of 15 places in the 2023 international tourist revenue rankings compared to 2019, leading the top 50 rankings in upward movement. This achievement underscores the Kingdom’s global leadership and ongoing success in the tourism sector.

The Cabinet approved the accession of Saudi Arabia to the cement and concrete breakthrough initiative, launched on the sidelines of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

It also endorsed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) concerning political consultations between the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia. The Cabinet approved an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation on income and the prevention of tax evasion between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The Council authorized the minister of economy and planning and chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Statistics or his deputy to discuss and sign with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Gulf area office in Saudi Arabia a draft MoU for cooperation in multiple indicator cluster surveys.

The Cabinet also approved a MoU between the Saudi National Center for Meteorology and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), concerning work in the field.