Doha, September 16 (QNA) - HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday at the Amiri Diwan.

Following the meeting, HE Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi said that at the outset of the meeting, the Cabinet reiterated the State of Qatar's strongest condemnation of the Houthi group's attacks - using ballistic missiles and drones - on civilian objects and civilians in the cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Taif in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These attacks resulted in injuries to a number of civilians and caused material damage to several residential homes and vehicles; such actions constitute shameful aggression, a reckless disregard for civilian lives, a flagrant violation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's sovereignty, and a clear breach of the rules of international law.

The Cabinet also reiterated the State of Qatar's strongest condemnation of the targeting of the East-West oil pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by several drones launched from the Republic of Iraq, as well as the resulting casualties and material damage. It affirmed that targeting civilian and economic facilities constitutes a condemnable act, a flagrant violation of international law, and a dangerous escalation that undermines the security and stability of the region. The Cabinet reaffirmed the State of Qatar's full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its support for all legitimate measures the Kingdom may take to safeguard its sovereignty, security, territorial integrity, and interests. The Cabinet emphasized that the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an integral part of the security of the State of Qatar and the collective security system of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.

The Cabinet also reiterated the State of Qatar's strongest condemnation of the renewed attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against the fraternal Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and the flagrant violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity - as well as the blatant breach of international law, the UN Charter, and the principles of good-neighborly relations - that these attacks represent.

The Cabinet then reviewed the topics on its agenda and approved a draft law on precious metals and gemstones, and referred it to the Shura Council.

The draft law, prepared by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in coordination with the Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology, comes within the framework of keeping pace with developments in this field and is intended to replace Law No. 4 of 1978 concerning the control, inspection, and hallmarking of precious metals.

The draft law aims to develop the legislative framework for precious metals and gemstones in alignment with international standards and market requirements. It seeks to achieve this by establishing comprehensive provisions to regulate related activities and by strengthening the supervisory role of the Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology, thereby ensuring the quality and safety of products in circulation and safeguarding the rights of consumers and market participants.

The Cabinet also approved a draft decision by the Minister of Public Health to reorganize the Permanent Committee for the Registration of Pharmaceutical Companies and Their Products, and to define its competencies and working procedures.

The draft decision replaces the decision of the Minister of Public Health No. 20 of 2000 regarding the formation of the aforementioned committee, with the aim of keeping pace with modern developments in the registration of pharmaceutical companies and their products, and enabling the committee to perform its duties efficiently and effectively.

The Cabinet discussed a report submitted by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) regarding the monitoring of progress made during the first half of 2026 in implementing the National Framework for Promoting Values and Morals in Qatari Society. It decided that the MOEHE would continue to oversee the implementation of the framework's objectives in coordination with the relevant entities.

This framework stems from a proposal submitted by the Shura Council, reflecting a commitment to preserving national identity and social cohesion, and to instilling authentic principles in the younger generation, in a manner that realizes the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

Concluding the meeting, the Cabinet reviewed the 2025 annual report on the activities, projects, and operational progress of Qatar Tourism; a report on the outcomes of participation in the 114th session of the International Labour Conference (Geneva, June 2026); and a report on the outcomes of participation in the first session of the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance (Geneva, July 2026); and took appropriate decisions regarding them. (QNA)