Positive outcomes of Bahrain king's visit to Saudi Arabia hailed

The Cabinet has commended the successful visit of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to Saudi Arabia and its positive outcome. The visit will reflect the strong relationships between the two countries.
The Cabinet expressed its gratitude towards the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for his generosity to the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Minister of State for Information Affairs and the Official Spokesperson of the Government Sameera Ebrahim Rajab stated.
The cabinet, chaired at the Gudaibiya Palace today by HRH Premier, in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, also greeted the students and the Ministry of Education's affiliates on the new school year, she said during the post weekly cabinet meeting press briefing.
His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has directed to follow-up on the distribution of housing units according to the needs of citizens, and ensure that the highest standards were maintained in their construction, she said.
A memorandum on tourism infrastructure projects funded by the private sector was tabled by the Minister for Culture Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa. These include rebuilding Bahrain Hotel (the first Hotel in the Gulf region), establishing the Pearl Trail Hotel (Muharraq Governorate) and developing Al-Fateh Corniche (the Arabian Gulf). The memorandum was referred to the concerned ministerial committee for further studies, the Minister added.
The cabinet also referred to the Ministerial Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs a memorandum on registration of land granted to the Kingdom of Bahrain by the Republic of Sudan. The decision followed the need for review of documents by the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs, said the Official Spokesperson.
The Ministry of Municipality Affairs and Urban Planning will coordinate with the concerned parties and take necessary action to document the agreement signed on June 25, 2013. The agreement, signed between the Northern State of the Republic of Sudan and the Kingdom of Bahrain pertained to investment in agricultural land granted to Bahrain.
The document was tabled by the Minister of State for Defence Affairs, and Deputy Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs.
The cabinet approved a memorandum presented by the minister on a draft decision to establish a Higher Committee for Treatment Abroad.
The Minister explained that the draft decision aimed to put forward a clear strategy for the development and provision of medical services for patients who require treatment abroad, as well as to establish uniform conditions and policies for the treatment abroad between the Ministry of Health, Bahrain Defence Force Royal Medical Services and the King Hamad Hospital.
The cabinet also referred to the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs for review a memorandum presented by the Minister of Industry and Commerce on approval of amendments to the Statute of the Standardization Organization (GSO) of the GCC countries.
The amendments include adding the necessary definitions to Article 2 of the current Statute of the Standardization Organisation (GSO) concerning accreditation, conformity and standards, as well as adding Article 16 on the adoption of the Republic of Yemen's accession to the GCC Standardization organization (GSO), the spokesperson added.
Another memo on establishing a GCC accreditation Centre was also approved and referred to a committee for review.
The Agreement aims to meet accreditation requirements among member states, to protect the interests of the accreditation services beneficiaries, and to establish mutual recognition with regional and international organizations and institutions working in the field of accreditation, she said.
In the small and medium enterprises sector, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the China Association of Small and Medium Enterprises in the People's Republic of China agreed to facilitate cooperation between businessmen in both countries exchange of information related to programs, products and services, said the Minister of Industry and Commerce Dr Hassan Fakhro.
The document was referred to the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs for further study, said the Spokesperson.
A memorandum on the second tranche of a loan given by the Islamic Development Bank to restore and revive the old Manama Souq – developing Bab Al-Bahrain area was discussed by the cabinet and referred to a committee for review. The document was presented the Minister of Culture.
A memorandum presented by the Minister of Labour was also reviewed. It pertained to labour market indicators for the second quarter of 2014.
The report pointed out that there has been a marginal increase in total national employment in both the public and private sectors in the second quarter. The increase was1.6 percent in comparison to the second quarter of 2013. This emphasizes the ability of the Kingdom's economy to create jobs for citizens, she told reporters.
Two memoranda on labour and professional training with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Kingdom of Morocco was discussed and referred for review.
The memorandum with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was for exchange of data, information, statistics and expertise related to labour market, cooperation in professional standards and the integration of women in the labour market. The understanding also extended to agreements on the methods for the settlement of labour disputes in accordance to the laws in force in the country where the person is working.
The MoU with the Kingdom of Morocco will encourage the exchange of information and expertise related to the labour market, settle labour disputes in accordance to the laws in force in the country where the person is working, cooperate in the fields of training and measurement systems in accordance to the needs of the labour market, as well as to create a better exchange of information and expertise in the best practices in the field of occupational safety and health.