JEDDAH — The Cabinet session, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman in Jeddah on Tuesday, emphasized the need to keep the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, as well as all vital waterways, open, secure, and free from any threats.The Council of Ministers reviewed developments in the regional and international arenas, as well as the Kingdom's continued efforts to de-escalate tensions, prevent the renewal of conflicts, support comprehensive diplomatic solutions, and safeguard the freedom of maritime navigation. The Cabinet praised the state visit of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to the French Republic, as well as his official talks with President Emmanuel Macron. The talks reaffirmed the strength of the longstanding relations between the two friendly countries, their shared desire to deepen strategic cooperation across various fields, and continued coordination and consultation based on a common vision. This vision aims to promote stability in the region and the world by safeguarding state sovereignty, respecting international law, prioritizing political and diplomatic solutions to conflicts, and addressing security threats.The Cabinet welcomed the outcomes of the inaugural meeting of the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership Council, co-chaired by the Crown Prince and the French president, which saw the launch of new initiatives, agreements, and memoranda of understanding in defense, healthcare, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, as well as entertainment. It also welcomed the results of the French-Saudi Investment Roundtable Meeting, which included the announcement of 21 agreements and memoranda of understanding, contributing to the development of the economic partnership between the two countries and opening new horizons for cooperation and joint investment amid growing bilateral ties and the wide-ranging opportunities offered by Saudi Vision 2030. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of State, Cabinet Member for Shoura Council Affairs, and Acting Minister of Media Issam bin Saad bin Saeed said that the Cabinet was briefed on discussions held in recent days between Saudi Arabia and several friendly countries, including the two messages received by the King and the Crown Prince from President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Andy Burnham. The Cabinet also hailed the outcomes of the third Strategic Dialogue between the Saudi and Japanese foreign ministers, which underscored the importance of further strengthening longstanding bilateral relations, expanding cooperation into broader horizons by capitalizing on economic opportunities in both countries, particularly in investment, energy, resources, supply chains, and technology, and enhancing the exchange of expertise and capabilities to advance shared priorities and objectives. The Cabinet reviewed reports on events and activities hosted by Saudi Arabia and praised the success of the 46th King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorizing, Reciting, and Interpreting the Holy Qur’an. It highlighted the broad participation of male and female contestants from 133 countries and the outstanding organization, reflecting the Kingdom's leadership in serving Islam and Muslims. The Cabinet viewed the achievements of the Esports World Cup across its first and second editions in Riyadh and its third edition in Paris as a testament to the Kingdom's continuous support for this growing sector, including enhancing the role of sports and creative fields in fostering connection among peoples through excellence, competition, and innovation. The Cabinet authorized the minister of transport and logistic services or his deputy to sign a draft United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.The Council authorized the minister of health or his deputy to discuss and sign with the Portuguese side a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Saudi Ministry of Health and the Portuguese Ministry of Health on cooperation in health fields. It authorized the minister of education and chairman of the board of directors of the National eLearning Center or his deputy to discuss and sign a draft MoU between the National eLearning Center and the Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education for cooperation in the field of e-learning. The Cabinet authorized the minister of human resources and social development and chairman of the board of directors of the Social Development Bank orhis deputy to discuss and sign a draft cooperation agreement between the Social Development Bank and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on technical assistance for building the capacities of small and medium-sized enterprises and startups within the framework of the Empretec Program. The Council approved two MoU between the Saudi General Court of Audit and the audit offices of the Republics of Cyprus and The Gambia for cooperation in the field of accounting, auditing, and professional work, and approved the unified law for voluntary work in the Gulf Cooperation Council States (GCC), as attached to the decision of the 44th session of the GCC Supreme Council. The Cabinet approved the National Intellectual Property Policy and the National Policy for Enhancing Emergency Medical Services in Public Places and Workplaces. The Cabinet also endorsed that no real estate transaction transferring ownership of land subject to the provisions of the White Land and Vacant Properties Fees Law shall be documented until the applicable fees have been paid.