The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah this evening.

King Salman began the meeting by briefing the Cabinet on the outcome of his audience with King Abdullah Al-Hussein of Jordan, the contents of a verbal message he sent to Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait; his meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu-Dhabi, the contents of the telephone call the monarch received from President Emmanuel Macron of France, as well as his meeting with the Secretary General of the GCC Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashed Al-Zayani.

The Cabinet confirmed that the decision to cut diplomatic and consulate relations with Qatar came emanating from the Kingdom's observing its sovereign rights guaranteed by international law and in protection of its national security against the dangers of terrorism and extremism as the Kingdom has taken this decisive decision due to the grave violations practiced by the authorities in Doha secretly and publicly throughout previous years. This aimed to strike a wedge in the Saudi domestic ranks, instigating people to disobey the State and breach its sovereignty through securing safe havens for numerous terrorist and sectarian groups targeting the stability of the region. The Cabinet reiterated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will remain supportive for the Qatari sisterly people and their security and stability regardless of the hostile practice committed by the authorities in Doha.
 
The Cabinet pointed out that the decision of various sisterly countries to severe diplomatic relations with the state of Qatar was an expression of keenness to preserve the unity of the Arab nation and take stance against Qatari acts, aimed at destabilizing security, in the region, contravening accords, charters, principles of international law and good neighborliness.

In line with a noble directive, the Cabinet was briefed by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, on the outcomes of his visit to Russia, meeting with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussion of reinforcing Saudi-Russian understanding on the oil accord, led by the Kingdom, which guarantee for the first time, in the history of the region the cooperation of OPEC member states and non-member states, including Russia, in addition to review bilateral relations, in the field of investments and various oil and petrochemical industries and uniting efforts to combat terrorism and extremist thought.
 
The Cabinet stressed the Kingdom's strong condemnation of the bombings in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, the series of bombings in the Afghan capital, Kabul, the terrorist attacks that took place in London, expressing condolence to the governments and peoples of Iraq, Afghanistan and Britain on the victims of bombings and terrorist incidents, wishing the wounded a speedy recovery.