Saudi Arabia hails UNSC call to block arms supplies to Houthis

RIYADH —The Council of Ministers welcomed the UN Security Council’s firm stance against the Houthi terrorist group, hailing its presidential statement calling for practical international cooperation to cut off the group’s access to weapons and all other forms of support. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chaired the Cabinet session in Riyadh on Tuesday. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said that the Cabinet welcomed the UNSC statement, which condemned the Houthi militia's attacks on civilian assets, airports, and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, as well as the continued threats to maritime navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The statement emphasized the importance of fully implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2216 and subsequent resolutions. At the outset of the session, the Cabinet was briefed on the letter the King received from Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and on the meeting between Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi. The Cabinet reviewed regional and international developments and the Kingdom's efforts, through communication and consultation with friendly countries, to promote regional stability and mitigate the repercussions of conflicts and tensions on global energy security, international trade, supply chain sustainability, and maritime navigation. It viewed that all of these are shared responsibilities requiring international cooperation to protect the global economy from risks that could affect the entire world. The Cabinet commended the decision by the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to establish an OIC ministerial council of cybersecurity and designate Riyadh as the headquarters of its general secretariat and executive office. The decision followed a proposal submitted by Saudi Arabia as part of its efforts to promote stability in cyberspace and host regional and international cybersecurity headquarters and entities, building on its strong record of supporting strategic initiatives in this field. The Cabinet also reviewed the outcomes of several international conferences hosted by the Kingdom, commending the recommendations issued by the Riyadh Economic Forum, which will contribute to serving the national economic system, strengthening economic policies and directions, and consolidating the complementary partnership between the public and private sectors, in line with the intended targets and comprehensive development transformations. The Cabinet considered the 33.5 percent increase in foreign direct investment in Saudi Arabia in 2025, compared to 2024, as a testament to the Saudi economy's attractiveness and promising future prospects, as well as the effectiveness of the economic and structural reforms implemented in recent years under Saudi Vision 2030. The Cabinet approved the Law of Patents and Utility Models. The law aims to stimulate the registration of patent applications and utility models, to contribute to the transfer of technology and to enhance the competitiveness of the national economy and industries. The Council also approved the New Plant Varieties Law, the Design Law, and the Integrated Circuit Layout Design Law. The Cabinet also approved that the spouse and children of each of the following shall be included in the educational mission for bachelor's and master's degrees: those assigned to work abroad, and employees and students on foreign scholarship, subject to certain regulations. It was also decided that the Sustainable Rural Agricultural Development Program will continue until the end of 2032. The Cabinet approved a headquarters agreement between the Saudi government and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) to open an office of the institute in the Kingdom, as well as a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the field of cybersecurity between the Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority and the UNITAR Cybersecurity Office. The Council authorized the chairman of the board of directors of the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission or his deputy to discuss and sign two draft memoranda of understanding with the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency and the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office on the exchange of information in nuclear safety and radiation protection, and nuclear security and non-proliferation. The Cabinet authorized the minister of tourism or his deputy to discuss and sign a draft MoU on tourism cooperation with the Syrian Ministry of Tourism. The Council approved a MoU between the Saudi Financial Investigations Unit at the Presidency of State Security and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and another MoU between the Saudi Food and Drug Authority and the Russian State Institute of Drugs and Good Practices.