The Cabinet slammed on Monday the Israeli government for its illegal occupation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and plans to build settlements nearby. The ministers described the actions of the Zionist regime as criminal and a provocation of Muslims worldwide, Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

Khoja said the Israeli government was continuing its aggression against the Palestinians with its decision to build 1,000 housing units in the occupied city of Al-Quds. Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, chaired the meeting in Riyadh on Monday.

Meanwhile, based on a report submitted by the Minister of Labor Adel Fakeih, the Cabinet approved the domestic worker recruitment agreement signed by the Saudi and Philippines labor ministries in May last year. The agreement is expected to cover housemaids, babysitters, laundrywomen, family drivers, cooks and gardeners.

The agreement agreed upon last year stipulates that workers receive a minimum monthly salary of SR1,500, their own bank accounts, weekly rest days and daily rest periods, paid vacation leave, non-withholding of passports and work permits, free communication and humane treatment.
Saudi Arabia requires workers to be medically fit, with no criminal record.

At the beginning of Monday’s meeting, the Cabinet was briefed about the outcome of talks on cooperation between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jabir Al-Sabah. Khoja told reporters that the Cabinet explored the latest regional and global developments, particularly the conference held in Germany on protecting Syrian refugees.

The Cabinet welcomed the recommendations issued by the fourth session of the anti-sea piracy conference that was recently convened in the United Arab Emirates, Khoja said. He said the Cabinet passed a series of decisions including the approval of diplomatic relations with the Republic of Timor-Leste and the Republic of Costa Rica at the level of “non-resident ambassador.”

The Council approved an agreement with the Portuguese government to avoid dual taxation and curb tax evasion. Khoja said that the Cabinet, after reviewing a report submitted by the Minister of Civil Service, ordered that all government departments must publicly announce vacancies to ensure parity between applicants.

The government agencies must announce vacancies on their websites, the ministry’s website and in two or more newspapers concerning terms, conditions and standards of the announced jobs, he said. The Cabinet approved a plan to conduct talks with the Hungarian government on telecommunications and information technology. SAPA