The council of ministers approved amendments to the traffic system penalties for driving with an expired license, and a new petroleum and petrochemical law in its first meeting of 2025 yesterday, state news agency SPA reports.

The newly-approved Petroleum and Petrochemical Law is set to ensure a reliable supply of products, optimize raw material usage, and localize the value chain for these substances, the Energy Ministry said in a post on X. The legislation replaces the existing Petroleum Products Trade Law, providing a more investment-friendly framework to oversee operations like distribution and transportation of petrochemical products.

Cabinet also signed off on measures to promote economic transparency, including providing financial support for the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE) and finalizing fiscal accounts for key agencies like the Saudi Industrial Development Fund and the National Center for Non-Profit Sector Development.

A new vaccine center: The council of ministers also assigned King Abdullah University of Science and Technology the task of setting up the Saudi Center for Vaccines and Protein Therapeutics — a move set to bolster domestic biopharma ambitions.

On the international front, the council of ministers signed off on multiple MoUs, including one with Uruguay in sports, Morocco in healthcare, and Qatar in digital government, as well as a cooperation pact with India on accounting and auditing.

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