Cabinet welcomes outcomes of HH the Amir’s official visits to the Republic of Costa Rica and the Republic of Colombia

HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting today at the Amiri Diwan.

In a statement after the meeting, HE Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, said that the Cabinet began their session by welcoming the outcomes of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s official visits to the Republic of Costa Rica and the Republic of Colombia from 19-21 November.

The Cabinet emphasised that His Highness the Amir’s fruitful discussions with the two friendly nations and the agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed, have together laid a solid foundation for strengthening the relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Costa Rica and the Republic of Colombia. Such efforts will also pave the way to explore mutual investment opportunities and develop mechanisms of cooperation in various fields, thereby serving the interests of the three nations and their peoples. Furthermore, these initiatives contribute to the preservation of regional and international peace and security.

The Cabinet also commended the State of Qatar for ranking first in key global governance indicators in the region for 2024 issued by the World Bank. The state came in first place in the political stability indicators with a rate of 84.36 percent and the rule of law with a rate of 80.19 percent.

The Cabinet noted that this significant achievement is a result of the wise policies adopted by the State of Qatar and reflects its commitment to upholding the principles of good governance.

As part of the session’s proceedings, the Cabinet noted the Shura Council’s approval of a draft law amending certain provisions of Law No. (15) of 2011 on combating human trafficking.

The Cabinet approved a draft Cabinet decision to amend Article (3) of Law No. (8) of 2022 concerning the temporary expropriation and seizure of property for public benefit by adding provisions related to public benefit works.

The Cabinet also approved a draft decision by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs regarding the issuance and publication of the list of strategic goods with military or dual-use purpose. The draft decision comes to implement the provisions of Law No. (11) of 2024 on dealing with strategic goods for military of dual use.

The Cabinet approved a draft decision by the Minister of Interior to amend select provisions of Decision No. (99) of 2019 on specifying parking spaces for transport vehicles (trucks), tractors, trailers and semi-trailers.

The Cabinet approved a draft decision by the Minister of Public Health on regulations on the import, circulation, sale and storage of tobacco or its derivatives, including cigarettes. The draft decision comes to implement the provisions of Law No. (10) of 2016 on the control of tobacco and its derivatives.

The Cabinet went on to approve a draft decision by the President of the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau regarding the issuance of a guide for the description, classification and categorisation of public jobs.

The Cabinet also approved granting the Economic Zones Company (Manateq) a concession for developing and managing the Small and Medium Industries Zone.

From there, the Cabinet also approved the General Retirement & Social Insurance Authority’s request for membership in the World Economic Forum; a draft grant agreement between the Qatar Fund for Development in the State of Qatar and the GiveDirectly organisation, registered in the United States of America, to support families living below the poverty line in the Republic of Rwanda for the year 2024; and a draft MoU on cooperation in the field of sport between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Guatemala.

At the meeting’s conclusion, the Cabinet reviewed five reports, making decisions accordingly. These included the outcomes of the 2023 annual report of the Civil Defense Council; the 16th report on the outcomes of the National Civil Aviation Security Committee between 1 January to 30 June 2024; the annual report on the outcomes of the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 and the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ending on 31 December 2023; a report on the outcomes of the participation of a delegation from the State of Qatar, led by the Minister of Municipality, in the Bridge for Cities 2024 event; and a report on the outcomes of the first session of the Qatari-Czech Joint Committee for Economic, Commercial and Technical Cooperation.