The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired a Cabinet’s session at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Monday afternoon, reported state news agency SPA.
The session’s onset kicked off with cabinet members expressing deep condolences both King Salman and the royal family on the death of Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz.
King Salman accepted condolences and voiced his appreciation on leaders and envoys several ally countries, princes, scholars, senior officials and citizens who had also offered their sympathies on the death of the late prince.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the Cabinet on the phone call he made to President-elect Donald Trump on winning the United States presidential race. In the phone call, King Salman voiced the Kingdom’s aspirations to enhance historical and strategic Saudi-U.S. relations, in addition to working together towards achieve peace and stability in the Middle East and the world.
The Cabinet was also addressed with the results of King Salman’s meeting with the Chairman of United States Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford during which they discussed aspects of bilateral cooperation and recent regional developments.
More so, the national body reviewed the statement issued by the first meeting of the Commission of Economic Affairs and Development of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for Arab States. The council lauded the commission’s come together that was inspired from King Salman’s vision to establish a commission which will enhance joint Gulf action.
Immediate follow-up was considered a priority in the list of steps set by state representatives that endorsed this ambitious development.
The Minister of State, Cabinet’s Member and Acting Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Essam bin Saad bin Said, in his statement to SPA, said that following the session the cabinet stressed the proposition of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Second Deputy Premier, Minister of defense, and Chairman of the Council of Economic Affairs and Development.
In his prior speech, given before the first Commission’s meeting, Prince Mohammed bin Salman says that GCC countries need to act as a unified bloc with respect to the existing status quo. When standing in solidarity, GCC countries look upon an ever-expansive opportunity to be the sixth largest world-economy—GCC states will need to enhance collaborative work in coming years, and should take advantage of fluxes in an era of economic instabilities.