Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. (SPA)

The Council of Ministers has welcomed the decision by the Yemeni government to appoint a deputy president, saying it would help restore stability and security in the country.

The Cabinet meeting held at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Monday afternoon, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, issued the statement in the wake of Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi appointing Khaled Bahah as his deputy.

In his statement to the media, Minister of Culture and Information Adel Al-Toraifi said the Cabinet condemned the Houthis for continuing to attack innocent civilians in various cities using heavy artillery and tanks.

Al-Toraifi said the Cabinet also welcomed the decision by leaders of various Yemeni military units and their affiliates to declare their loyalty to Hadi’s administration. This would help all Yemenis, he said.

The minister said the coalition forces were working with various humanitarian and other organizations to evacuate people from that country, and provide aid to Yemenis.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman held talks with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa in Manama on the latest developments in Yemen and Bahrain’s military participation in the Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm against the Houthis to restore Yemen’s legitimacy.

On the oil industry, Al-Toraifi said Saudi Arabia does not use oil as a political weapon against countries, and that this nation was not in competition with shale oil producers. The Cabinet welcomed new sources in the market, he said.

The Cabinet lauded the 18th annual meeting of the Saudi Economics Association entitled Energy Economies, and said Saudi Arabia remained “committed to a stable energy market and improving oil prices in a reasonable and transparent manner with key oil-producing and consuming countries.”

Al-Toraifi said King Salman also briefed the Cabinet on his talks with various leaders who visited the Kingdom recently including Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

He also briefed the ministers on his telephonic conversations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the contents of a letter from Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma, and his meeting with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

The Cabinet ministers condemned the bombings that targeted the Egyptian security forces in the north Sinai governorate in Egypt and conveyed their condolences and sympathy to the government, the people of Egypt and the victims’ families, said Al-Toraifi.

On local affairs, the Cabinet applauded the king’s efforts to support and encourage cultural development and tourism, including the Diriyah opening that reflects the country’s “glorious history.”

The Cabinet also praised the efforts of the High Commission for the Development of Riyadh, led by Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar, and the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities under Prince Sultan bin Salman, who is also a member of Diriyah development project’s executive committee.

Al-Toraifi said the Cabinet was briefed on several issues forwarded by the Shoura Council to its General Committee and Experts Commission for further study. On the first proposal, it was decided that King Salman should approve any contract SR100 million and over.

On the second proposal, it was decided that the government should amend a law, removing the stipulation that the king should only approve projects worth SR300 million and over.

The Cabinet authorized the Foreign Affairs Ministry to sign a memorandum of understanding with Kazakhstan on political consultations; and a draft cooperation agreement with Nepal.

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