JEDDAH – The Council of Ministers on Tuesday approved a number of initiatives aimed privatizing parking lots.

After reviewing a report of the Acting Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and chairman of the supervisory committee for the privatization in the municipal sector, and recommendation of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA), the Council decided to offer five public-private partnership projects in the regions of Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province on an experimental basis on unused land owned by the mayoralties.

The Cabinet approved an initiative of establishing and managing car parking in the locations specified by the supervisory committee for the privatization in the municipal sector in Riyadh, on an experimental basis, in the first phase.

It also endorsed launching the initiative of joint land investment agreements in partnership with the private sector in accordance with the revenue sharing model. The Cabinet also approved launching of the project of establishing and managing car parks in partnership with the private sector.

Minister of Media Turki Al-Shabanah said the Cabinet decided to authorize discussions with the UAE side with regard to concluding draft memoranda of understanding in the areas of culture, health, insurance, communications and information technology, news exchange, space activities for peaceful purposes, and cyber security.

The Cabinet approved the general strategy for the development of national tourism and the law of vocational companies. It also authorized minister of interior or his deputy to discuss and sign a draft agreement for extradition of wanted criminals with the government of Indonesia. — SG/SPA