RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet affirmed the Kingdom’s support for international efforts against Daesh on Tuesday. It also affirmed its keenness on the stability of Iraq and the extension of the country’s influence and sovereignty over all of its territory, reiterating the Kingdom’s statement delivered by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan at a Global Coalition against Daesh meeting in Marrakech last week. The Kingdom also stressed its support for efforts to stabilize the security and economic situation in liberated areas in Syria, and welcomed the establishment of the Africa Focus Group to counter the growing threat of the spread of Daesh in the continent. Acting Minister of Media Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi said that the Cabinet also voiced its sorrow and grief over the death of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. The Cabinet also congratulated Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on his election as president of the UAE, and expressed hope for further action to consolidate bilateral relations and enhance ties among Gulf Cooperation Council countries. King Salman thanked God for granting the Kingdom the great honor of serving the two holy mosques and for the large number of Umrah pilgrims and worshippers who were able to comfortably and safely visit the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque during Ramadan. The king also expressed thanks and appreciation to the leaders of Arab, Muslim and friendly countries who checked up on his health after he underwent a colonoscopy, the results of which were fine. The Cabinet also reviewed recent activities held in the Kingdom including the launch of the Saudi Census 2022, the International Conference and Exhibition for Education 2022, and the Future Aviation Forum, during which more than 50 agreements worth SR10 billion ($2.7 billion) were signed. It also expressed satisfaction with the growth of the Kingdom’s GDP by 9.6 percent in the first quarter of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021, recording the highest growth rate in the past ten years, driven by the increase in oil and non-oil activities.