Doha, Qatar: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al-Thani chaired the Cabinet's regular meeting held on Wednesday morning at the Amiri Diwan.
Following the meeting, HE Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi stated the following:
At the outset of the meeting, the Cabinet commended the positive outcomes and historic stances of the Arab-Islamic Emergency Summit, held on Monday in Doha, under the chairmanship of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, to discuss the treacherous Israeli attack on the State of Qatar.
The Cabinet hailed the significant contents of HH the Amir's speech at the opening of the summit, and the facts he presented about the objectives, dimensions, and repercussions of the treacherous Israeli aggression against the State of Qatar, and His Highness's call for taking tangible steps to address the state of madness of power, arrogance, and bloodlust that has afflicted the Israeli government, and what has resulted and is resulting from it in terms of insistence on continuing the war of genocide, displacement, and settlement expansion in Palestine, and the blatant interference in the sovereignty of Arab states and finally, the treacherous aggression against the State of Qatar.
The Cabinet affirmed that the summit, through the size and level of participation, and the resulting visions, stances, and decisions, had sent a clear message in the face of the state terrorism practiced by Israel against the region. It reflected, through the clear, sincere, and fraternal words of Their Majesties, Highnesses, and Excellencies, the heads of delegations participating in the summit, and through the final statement issued by it, the strong and unified Arab and Islamic stance in full solidarity with the State of Qatar, and absolute support for its security, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and condemnation of the Israeli aggression against it, as a blatant aggression against an Arab and Islamic state that is a member of the United Nations, and represents a dangerous escalation that exposes the extremist aggression of the Israeli government and is added to its criminal record that threatens regional and international security and peace. This was in addition to praising the civilized, wise, and responsible stance adopted by the State of Qatar in dealing with this treacherous attack, and its steadfast commitment to the provisions of international law, and its insistence on preserving its sovereignty and security and defending its rights by all legitimate means, and emphasizing its constructive role, as well as its commendable efforts in the field of mediation and the positive impacts it has had in supporting efforts to establish security, stability, and peace, and its various regional and international initiatives.
The Cabinet welcomed the results of the extraordinary session held by the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Doha on Monday, chaired by HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and the final statement issued by it. The Supreme Council condemned in the strongest terms the treacherous Israeli aggression and the flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar, expressing that this aggressive act represents a dangerous and unacceptable escalation and a grave violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. It affirmed the full solidarity of the GCC countries with the State of Qatar in all measures it takes to confront this aggression, stressing that the security of the GCC countries is indivisible, and that any aggression against any of them is an aggression against all of them, in accordance with the GCC Statute and the Joint Defense Agreement. It also affirmed the readiness of the GCC countries to mobilize all capabilities to support the State of Qatar and protect its security, stability, and sovereignty against any threats.
The Cabinet reiterated Qatar's welcome of the statement unanimously issued by the UN Security Council on Thursday, condemning the treacherous Israeli attack on the residence of the Hamas negotiating delegation in Doha, affirming its solidarity with Qatar, support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and its vital role in mediation efforts in the region.
The Cabinet also reiterated the State of Qatar's welcome to the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the "New York Declaration" on the implementation of the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, issued by the High-Level International Conference on the Settlement of the Palestinian Question, and its appreciation for the efforts of the fraternal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the friendly French Republic that contributed to the issuance and adoption of the declaration, urging for practical steps and executive procedures to achieve a just and comprehensive peace, by ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state with full sovereignty on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Cabinet then considered the topics on its agenda, where it approved a draft law amending some provisions of Law No. 11 of 2016 regarding the Audit Bureau. This draft law was prepared to enhance the role of the Audit Bureau and enable it to exercise its oversight role efficiently, and to establish advanced oversight mechanisms that keep pace with the best international standards, which contribute to protecting public funds and consolidating the principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability.
The Cabinet approved the draft Cabinet decision amending some provisions of Decision No. 1 of 2023 establishing the technical committee to study fees for services provided by government agencies and determine its competencies. The Ministry of Finance prepared the draft decision in coordination with the Civil Services and Government Development Bureau to develop the mechanisms and system of work of the committee in a manner that contributes to achieving a balance between the efficiency and quality of services provided and ensuring the fairness and proportionality of fees.
The Cabinet decided to approve a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the legal and judicial field between the Ministry of Justice in the State of Qatar and the Ministry of Justice in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a draft MoU between the Real Estate Regulatory Authority in the State of Qatar and the Real Estate General Authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for cooperation in the real estate field, a draft MoU for cooperation in the field of charitable and humanitarian work between the Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities (RACA) in the State of Qatar and the Ministry of Social Development in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a draft MoU for cooperation in the field of charitable and humanitarian work between the RACA in the State of Qatar and the Rwandan Governance Board (RGB) in the Republic of Rwanda, a draft MoU for cooperation in the field of documents and archives between the National Archives of Qatar in the State of Qatar and the General Delegation for National Records in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, a draft agreement between the government of the State of Qatar and the United Nations regarding arrangements for and hosting the Second World Summit for Social Development, a draft MoU between the government of the State of Qatar and the government of the United Republic of Tanzania regarding conducting political and diplomatic consultations on issues of common interest, a draft MoU on cooperation to enhance the development impact between the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) in the State of Qatar, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Inter-American Investment Corporation, a draft air services agreement between the government of the State of Qatar and the government of the Solomon Islands, a draft air services agreement between the government of the State of Qatar and the government of the Commonwealth of Dominica, and a draft protocol between the government of the State of Qatar and the government of the Republic of Tajikistan on the agreement to encourage and guarantee investment.
The Cabinet discussed the fourth annual report on the results of the work of the Permanent Committee for Punitive and Correctional Institutions for 2024. The report included a comprehensive presentation of the results of the committee's work during the year, the tasks implemented, and a statement of the practical steps taken to improve the efficiency of performance within punitive and correctional institutions and develop their rehabilitation and correctional programs within the framework of ongoing efforts to strengthen the criminal justice system and develop the environment of punitive and correctional institutions to achieve the desired goals of rehabilitation and reform, and to ensure their compliance with relevant national and international standards.
The Cabinet concluded its meeting by reviewing three reports and taking appropriate decisions regarding them. These included: a report on the results of the participation of HE the Minister of Social Development and Family in the 23rd meeting of ministers responsible for housing affairs in GCC countries, a report on the results of the participation of HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry in the meetings of the 68th Ministerial Meeting of the Trade Cooperation Committee and the 54th Ministerial Meeting of the Industrial Cooperation Committee and the accompanying consultative meetings in the GCC countries, and a report on the results of the participation of HE the Minister of Justice in the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum 2025.
