RIYADH — The Saudi Council of Ministers on Tuesday approved the agreement for the electric high-speed railway link between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chaired the Cabinet session in Riyadh. The 785 km high-speed electric rail line, linking Riyadh and Doha, will feature speeds exceeding 300 km/h, connecting key stations like Dammam and Al-Ahsa, and reducing travel time to approximately two hours. At the outset of the session, the Cabinet was briefed on the recent telephone conversation between Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Council also reviewed the discussions held by the Crown Prince with President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz during their official visits to the Kingdom. The Cabinet praised the positive outcomes of these visits, which underscored the strength of bilateral relations and the mutual commitment to furthering them at all levels. It also lauded the agreements and memoranda of understanding signed with Türkiye, as well as those between the public and private sectors in the Kingdom and Germany, which aim to expand cooperation and coordination across various sectors, advancing shared interests and supporting development priorities. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of State, Member of the Cabinet for the Shoura Council's Affairs and Acting Minister of Media Issam bin Saeed said the Cabinet reviewed the latest regional developments and the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to engage with the international community in supporting regional security and stability. It called for adherence to the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, its full implementation, and progress toward a political solution leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. The Cabinet reaffirmed its support for the outcomes of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS meeting, hosted by Saudi Arabia, underscoring the importance of continued international collaboration and concrete measures to combat cross-border terrorism, which poses a direct threat to the security and stability of societies. The Cabinet praised the efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Syria, including the visit of a Saudi delegation to Damascus to launch strategic projects and contracts in the aviation, communications, water, industry, and education sectors, which will contribute to enhancing infrastructure and advancing economic growth in Syria. The Cabinet commended the outcomes of the second edition of the AlUla Conference on Emerging Market Economies 2026, organized by the Kingdom in partnership with the International Monetary Fund. The conference aimed at consolidating international cooperation, promoting economic and financial reforms, and enabling emerging economies to address global changes in a way that achieves inclusive and sustainable growth. The Cabinet also regarded the Kingdom’s election to the presidency of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Internal Auditors for the 2027–2028 term as confirmation of its commitment to supporting cooperation with international organizations at various levels and strengthening leadership in this field. The Cabinet approved the organizational procedures for the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Global Center for Arabic Calligraphy. The Council endorsed formation of a permanent committee to address all matters related to asbestos and monitor its prohibition. The Cabinet authorized the minister of energy or his deputy to discuss and sign with the Jordanian and Turkish sides a draft framework agreement and a draft cooperation agreement on the peaceful uses of nuclear and atomic energy between the governments of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Türkiye.The Council approved two agreements between the government of Saudi Arabia and the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the government of Mongolia, on the mutual exemption from short-stay visas for holders of diplomatic, special, official, and service passports. The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the cultural field between the Saudi Ministry of Culture and the Uzbek Ministry of Culture, and a MoU between the Saudi Ministry of Health and the Syrian Ministry of Health for cooperation in the health fields. The Council authorized the minister of industry and mineral resources and chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi geological survey or his deputy to discuss and sign with the Yemeni side a draft MoU between the Saudi Geological Survey and the Yemeni Geological Survey and Mineral Resources Authority for technical and scientific geological cooperation. The Cabinet authorized the president of state security or his deputy to discuss and sign with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime a draft MoU between the General Directorate of Financial Investigations at the Saudi Presidency of State Security and the United Nations, represented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.