The Shura Council approves amendments to the copyright law and international agreements

The Shura Council held its eleventh regular session of the second year of the ninth term today, chaired by His Excellency the Speaker of the Council, Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Sheikh, where the Council discussed and approved a number of important legislative and oversight files that affect the sectors of culture, education, investment, and international relations.

Copyright reform: A step towards a knowledge economy

At the outset of its deliberations, the Council voted to approve amendments to several articles of the draft Copyright Law. This decision followed a thorough review of the report by the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee, presented by Council Member and Committee Chairman Dr. Hassan Al-Hazmi. This legislative step reflects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's commitment to modernizing its legal framework in accordance with international standards for the protection of intellectual property.

These amendments are of paramount importance within the framework of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which aims to transform the Kingdom into a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy. The copyright system is a cornerstone for protecting the creative output of individuals and institutions, thereby encouraging investment in the creative, cultural, and technological industries. Furthermore, strengthening these laws will improve the Kingdom's ranking in global indices related to rights protection, thereby boosting international investor confidence in the Saudi market.

Strengthening international partnerships in aviation and investment

On the international relations front, the Council approved a package of draft memoranda of understanding and agreements aimed at strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation, including:

• The aviation sector: Approval was granted for a memorandum of understanding for technical cooperation between the General Authority of Civil Aviation and the African Civil Aviation Commission (African bloc), in addition to an air transport services agreement with the government of Finland. These agreements support the Kingdom's civil aviation strategy to connect Saudi Arabia to the world and expand its air transport network.
• Investment sector: Approval of a memorandum of understanding with Estonia to encourage direct investment, and an agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco on the mutual promotion and protection of investments, reflecting the Kingdom’s desire to diversify its economic partnerships and open new horizons for the private sector.

Developing the university education system

Regarding education, the council issued important decisions and recommendations concerning a number of Saudi universities to ensure the quality of outputs and the efficiency of spending:

Shaqra University

The council called on Shaqra University to strengthen its efforts to complete the transition to the new university system, develop its branches and evaluate its outputs to ensure sustainability and quality, with a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship.

King Khalid University

The council discussed the university's annual report, with members emphasizing the importance of the university hospital as a hub for medical education and for serving the Asir region's health and economy. Members also called for linking the university to development projects in the region and for developing indicators to measure the impact of scientific research and innovation and translate them into products with economic value.

Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University

Regarding Prince Sattam University, the members’ interventions focused on the need to find long-term funding mechanisms to support research and innovation, and to invest in the university’s geographical location and infrastructure to create sustainable sources of income, in addition to studying opportunities for university endowments to enhance financial resources.

At the conclusion of the discussions, the Education and Scientific Research Committee requested time to study the members’ observations and opinions on the universities’ reports, in order to present its viewpoint at a future session.