Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chairs the weekly Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi-led coalition forces are now focusing on rebuilding Yemen, with a commitment to remove all traces of foreign forces attempting to dominate and divide the country.

The Council of Ministers took this decision at its weekly meeting at Al-Yamamah Palace on Monday, which was chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.

Culture and Information Minister Adel Al-Toraifi said in a statement after the meeting that the objectives of Operation Decisive Storm have been achieved and the focus is now on Operation Restoring Hope.

The Cabinet said the coalition members wanted the Yemeni people to “restore their security and stability away from foreign domination and interventions aimed at inciting sedition and sectarianism,” so that the country can take its rightful place among its Arab neighbors, said Al-Toraifi.

At the outset of the meeting, King Salman thanked the armed forces for carrying out the military operation. He praised them particularly for successfully blocking sea and air routes that would have allowed rebel Yemeni militias to attack the Kingdom and other Gulf countries, said Al-Toraifi.

“During the military operation, the Kingdom’s brave pilots along with their brothers from the coalition countries successfully eliminated the threat to the security of the Kingdom and neighboring countries.”

The Cabinet also welcomed the letter from Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, which expressed his thanks for the intervention in Yemen aimed at “saving the people from the aggressive acts of the Houthi militias.”

Hadi had stated that history would recall “in gold ink” the Kingdom’s support, which he described as uniting and bringing new hope to the people, said Al-Toraifi.

King Salman also briefed the ministers on his wide-ranging talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday in Riyadh, which included strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation.

The Cabinet ministers also expressed their deep sympathy and condolences to the government and people of Nepal for their losses during Saturday and Sunday’s massive earthquakes in the region, said Al-Toraifi.

The Cabinet also discussed the latest regional and international developments. King Salman briefed the ministers on his telephone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the message he received from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Moros, and his meeting with Linas Linkevicius, Lithuanian minister of foreign affairs.

The Cabinet also condemned the massacre of 30 Ethiopians in Libya by so-called Islamic State terrorists, stressing the need for international cooperation to eliminate these groups.

The Cabinet authorized King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to discuss a memorandum of understanding with China on satellite navigation and commercial activities. The ministers also approved regulations governing the Saudi Commission for Lawyers.

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