Shura Council Convenes 21st Regular Session of the First Year in Ninth Term – Major Newspapers Covering Event

Today, the Shura Council held its twenty-first regular session of the first year of the ninth session under the chairmanship of His Excellency the Council President Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Al-Sheikh.

At the beginning of the session, the council reviewed the agenda of its twenty-first regular session and the necessary decisions taken regarding it. They discussed the annual report of the Ministry of Commerce for the financial year 1445/1446 H. The council members heard a report submitted by the Trade and Investment Committee, followed by a presentation from committee member Khalid Al Saif regarding the ministry’s annual report.

During the session, members of the council expressed various comments and opinions on the Ministry of Commerce’s annual report. Dr. Hisham Al Faris called for the ministry to add performance indicators to measure the dimensions of the commercial situation in the Kingdom directly, such as the volume of trade in various sectors, growth rates, and the contribution of non-oil sectors to achieve the vision.

Additionally, Dr. Aisha Arishi requested the Ministry of Commerce to collaborate with relevant entities to create educational programs for consumers on the importance of checking the expiry dates of food products and reinforcing this for it to become a societal culture.

Dr. Hassan Al Hazmi urged the Ministry of Commerce to expedite finding suitable solutions to provide electronic payment methods in various sectors, given the Kingdom’s efforts to attract market growth, tourism support, and the need for all payment methods to be available and feasible.

Dr. Mohammed Al Garba praised the legal efforts of the Ministry of Commerce, emphasizing the importance of establishing a General Consumer Protection Authority due to the increase and diversity of commercial activities and the community’s need for it.

At the end of these discussions, the committee requested more time to study the members’ opinions and proposals and return with their views in a subsequent session. They also discussed the annual report of the Saudi Arabian Investment Marketing Authority for the financial year 1444/1445 H. After listening to the committee’s report, the council members expressed comments and opinions on the Saudi Arabian Investment Marketing Authority’s annual report.

Dr. Abdullah Al Najjar called on the Saudi Arabian Investment Marketing Authority to cooperate with relevant entities to complete a comprehensive review of the regulations related to the authority and work on developing the institutional framework.

Dr. Fahd Al Takhif called on the Saudi Arabian Investment Marketing Authority to develop performance indicators to measure the efficiency of investment marketing projects, aligning their outcomes with the national economy’s spending budgets.

Dr. Abdulrahman Al Jaber emphasized the importance of the authority coordinating with entities involved in the investment system in the Kingdom to increase the organization, improvement, and integration of efforts in marketing and attracting investments.

The council approved various memoranda of understanding and agreements during the session, including cooperation and news exchange agreements between the Saudi Press Agency and the Senegalese News Agency, as well as agreements in the health sector between the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Health in Singapore.

In related matters, the council approved a memorandum of understanding between the General Authority for Food and Drug in Saudi Arabia and the National Medical Products Administration in China for cooperation in the regulation of drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics.

The council also approved memoranda of understanding in various fields, including energy cooperation between the Ministry of Energy in Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security in Italy. Additionally, agreements were reached in the Islamic affairs sector between the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call, and Guidance in Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony in Pakistan.

Furthermore, the council approved an agreement in the communications and information technology sector between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Digital Technologies in Uzbekistan. Lastly, general cooperation agreements were sanctioned between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Eswatini and the governments of Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan in the field of air transport services.