His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, today chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting, held remotely.

The Cabinet praised the historical step taken by HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, in furthering regional peace by announcing the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Israel. In this regard, the Cabinet noted that this declaration of support for peace will be directed towards strengthening efforts aimed at finding a just and comprehensive solution in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, and that peace is a strategic choice that contributes to guaranteeing the rights of the Palestinian people and enhances regional stability.

In response to HM the King's directives to introduce an Economic Stimulus Package to minimise the human and economic impact of the global spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), and in cooperation and coordination with the Council of Representatives, the government decided to sponsor the electricity, water and municipal fees for all citizens in their first residence for a period of 3 months, starting from October 2020, with the amount not exceeding the bills for the same period last year for each subscriber.

Furthermore, the Cabinet directed the Central Bank of Bahrain to urge all banks to postpone loan installments from citizens affected by the global pandemic, until the end of this year, and in a manner that does not affect banks' liquidity or financial solvency.

The Cabinet highlighted the importance for all citizens and residents to vigilantly adhere to social distancing guidelines and measures introduced by the National Medical Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus. The Cabinet stressed the importance of supporting national efforts aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus, which has had a profound impact on reducing infection rates, and it is a social responsibility to ensure the health and safety of the community.

The Cabinet then expressed its condolences to the government and people of the Republic of the Sudan, following the floods that have taken lives and destroyed homes. The Cabinet affirmed the Kingdom's solidarity with Sudan, and praised HM the King’s royal directives for the urgent shipment of humanitarian aid to support Sudan during this time.

Following the meeting, the Cabinet Secretary-General, HE Dr. Yasser bin Issa Al-Nasser, made the following remarks:

1. Based on a recommendation made by the Government Executive Committee, chaired by HRH the Crown Prince, the Cabinet approved a draft Law amending some provisions of the current Commercial Companies Law promulgated by Decree Law No. (21) of 2001. The amendments include the introduction of new benefits to further strengthen the investment ecosystem, help companies raise capital, enhance the rights of minority investors, permit the creation of not-for-profit companies, and regulate mergers and acquisitions. This in addition to amendments aimed at improving the regulatory environment for companies and keeping pace with global developments.

2. Based on the legal principles established by the Constitutional Court on parliamentary affairs ruling the unconstitutional extension of the period of parliamentary investigation committees for more than four months, the Cabinet reviewed the impact of issuing the above ruling, through a memorandum of the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs, presented by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Committee.

The aforementioned Committee was tasked to cooperate and coordinate with the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, to notify and coordinate with the concerned authorities to implement the ruling issued by the Constitutional Court.

3. The Cabinet reviewed the national emergency plan on combating oil pollution and other harmful substances. The plan, prepared by the Supreme Council for the Environment and presented by HE the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, includes methods for controlling marine oil and petrol spills, and employing human capital and expertise in cooperation with one of the largest international companies which specialises in combating oil spills and with the participation of relevant ministries and government agencies.

The Cabinet approved the plan in principle, until further comments are provided by the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Oil.

4. The Cabinet approved a proposal to disburse payments for individuals working in Quran memorisation centres, in light of distance learning measures organised in a number of Quran memorisation centres affiliated with the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments.

5. The Cabinet approved a proposal to prioritise Bahraini farmers to benefit from farmlands across Horat Aali, as achieved following the conclusion of usufruct contracts with 19 Bahraini farmers to benefit from agricultural lands in Horat Aali.

6. The Cabinet approved a number of proposals implemented by the government related to housing instalments, salaries of Bahraini citizens in the private sector and applying teleworking, amongst others.

In the items of Ministerial reports, the Cabinet was informed on the outcomes of the first high-level meeting to launch the Facilitation Council of the "Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator", in which HRH the Prime Minister was officially invited by the Director-General of the World Health Organization, with HRH the Prime Minister delegating to HE the Minister of Health to participate.