Al-Riyadh Newspaper | On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Crown Prince inaugurates the first year of the ninth session of the Shura Council

On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – may God protect him – His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, inaugurated yesterday, Wednesday, the first year of the ninth session of the Shura Council.

Upon the arrival of His Highness the Crown Prince to the headquarters of the Shura Council, he was received – may God protect him – by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region, and His Excellency the Chairman of the Shura Council, Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Sheikh.

We emphasize the importance of the Council’s role in improving the performance of state institutions, in addition to its oversight duties.

Then the royal anthem was played.

After that, His Excellency the Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council, Dr. Mishaal Al-Salmi, His Excellency the Assistant Speaker of the Council, Dr. Hanan Al-Ahmadi, and His Excellency the Secretary-General of the Council, Mr. Mohammed Al-Mutairi, had the honor of greeting His Highness the Crown Prince.

His Highness the Crown Prince headed to the session hall, where the Speaker of the Shura Council had the honor of reciting the oath before His Highness the Crown Prince, and the members of the Council repeated the oath.

After that, commemorative photos were taken of His Highness the Crown Prince with members of the Shura Council.

After His Highness the Crown Prince took his place on the main platform in the Grand Hall, the ceremony prepared for this occasion began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran.

After that, His Excellency the Speaker of the Shura Council, Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Sheikh, delivered the following speech:

Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon the most honorable of prophets and messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions.

We are moving forward with optimism and confidence to continue the journey to achieve our goals.

His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister

Your Highnesses the Princes

Your Eminences, Your Excellencies, Your Highnesses

May the peace, blessings, and mercy of God be upon you

Your Highness:

With feelings overflowing with gratitude and appreciation, in an atmosphere filled with joy and happiness, and with hearts looking forward to achievement and success, the Shura Council is honored by this generous patronage, as you – may God protect you – on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – may God protect him – are honored to open the first year of the ninth session of the Shura Council and launch a new session of the life of this Council, which has enjoyed the support of the wise leadership throughout its history, in belief in its role in the process of construction and development. Welcome, Your Highness.

Your Highness:

The tremendous and distinguished development work that our country is witnessing in this auspicious era would not have been achieved without the grace of God Almighty and then the wise policy adopted by the state after the blessed Vision 2030, which is supervised by Your Highness, has drawn a development path that is unique in its dimensions and goals, and diverse in its ambitions and contributions to place this blessed country in its rightful place among nations through working to build the present, build the future, and take pride in the long and extensive history of this country with its wise leadership and loyal people, which has led to the achievement of a number of accomplishments and successes, including the establishment of giant and distinguished qualitative projects, continuing to achieve leaps in a number of indicators, and obtaining international awards in a number of fields. The Kingdom’s hosting of many international meetings and summits and other conferences, forums, and various international championships confirms its position and leadership. In addition to that, and foremost among them, the interest of the wise leadership – may God support it – in providing the utmost care for the Two Holy Mosques and harnessing technologies and developing the services provided. For those who intend them, and other things that there is no room to mention.

In front of the Crown Prince, the Chairman of the Shura Council was honored to recite the oath, which was repeated by the Council members, both male and female.

Your Highness:

I am pleased to briefly inform Your Highness that the Shura Council issued during the past year, which is the fourth year of the eighth session of the Council, four hundred and ninety-three (493) decisions on various topics studied by the Council, including fifty-eight (58) decisions related to draft regulations and bylaws, two hundred and forty (240) decisions related to international treaties and agreements, and one hundred and ninety-four (194) decisions related to reports of government agencies, and other matters that fall within the Council’s jurisdiction and tasks. This comes in light of the continuous care and great support that the Council receives from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and from Your Highness – may God protect you both.

In conclusion, allow me, Your Highness, to welcome the members of the Council, both men and women, who have earned your gracious trust, wishing them success and prosperity, and to thank the members whose terms of membership have ended for their efforts throughout their work under the dome of the Council, asking God Almighty to protect the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and to protect Your Highness, and to perpetuate the blessings of faith, security and prosperity upon our country, for He is the All-Hearing, All-Answering.

May the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.

Royal Speech

On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – may God protect him – His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, delivered the annual royal speech, the text of which is as follows:

In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful

Brothers and sisters

May the peace, blessings, and mercy of God be upon you

With the help and guidance of God, we inaugurate the work of the first year of the ninth session of the Shura Council, on behalf of His Majesty the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz – may God protect him – asking God Almighty to grant us success and guide our steps.

Brothers and sisters:

As we are on the cusp of a new session of the Shura Council, we emphasize the importance of the Council’s role in improving the performance of state institutions, and its effective role in developing and modernizing systems, in addition to its oversight tasks and continuous follow-up of the implementation of approved strategies and plans. Since the launch of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, the citizen has been at the forefront of our minds, as he is its pillar and goal. Any achievement made through its comprehensive umbrella of various paths is an elevation for the nation, a benefit for the citizen, and immunity – God willing – for future generations from fluctuations and changes.

We meet you today after having completed parts of this journey with steady steps and continuous work, in which we are proud of achieving many targets at the national and international levels, and in which the Kingdom has advanced degrees in international indicators and classifications. We are proceeding with optimism and confidence in continuing the journey to achieve our targets, according to a comprehensive and integrated approach based on careful review and prioritization.

Al-Sheikh: The Shura Council enjoys the leadership’s support, believing in its constructive and developmental role

Our country has achieved many essential accomplishments during this great journey. Among the examples of these non-oil activities in the Kingdom, it recorded its highest contribution to the real GDP at (50%) last year, which enhances the sustainability and comprehensiveness of growth and achieves high quality in economic diversification. The Public Investment Fund continues its role in achieving its goals to be a driving force for investment. Unemployment among citizens, both male and female, recorded its lowest historical level in the first quarter of 2024, reaching (7.6%), after its rate was (12.8%) in 2017.

The percentage of home ownership among citizens increased from (47%) in 2016 to more than (63%). In the field of tourism, achievements preceded the target date, as the National Tourism Strategy, launched in 2019, set a target of (one hundred) million tourists in 2030. This target was exceeded and (one hundred and nine million) tourists were reached in 2023. The Kingdom achieved the sixteenth rank among the most competitive countries. With the exploration of natural resources, the Kingdom has become one of the largest natural resource stores in the world. Your country has also achieved an advanced position in the field of renewable energy, and has become one of the most active players in it regionally and internationally.

Global Trust

Today, as a result of its achievements and vision, the Kingdom enjoys global confidence, making it one of the first destinations for global centers and major companies, most notably the opening of the regional center for the International Monetary Fund, and centers for various international activities in sports, investment, culture, and a gateway for cultural communication, which contributed to its selection to host Expo 2030, and today it is preparing to organize the World Cup in 2034.

We are proud of the achievements of our citizens in the fields of innovation and science. We pay great attention to education to be of a quality that enhances knowledge and innovation. We work to build generations that enjoy scientific excellence and high skills, and have every opportunity to obtain a high-quality education.

We affirm that while we are proceeding on the paths of modernization and diversity, we are keen to protect our identity and values, which are an extension of the journey of our forefathers and fathers, and are our penetrating image in the entire world.

Your country has achieved an advanced position in the field of renewable energy.

The Palestinian issue

Brothers and sisters:

The Palestinian issue is at the forefront of your country’s concerns, and we reiterate the Kingdom’s rejection and strong condemnation of the crimes of the Israeli occupation authority against the Palestinian people, ignoring international and humanitarian law in a new and bitter chapter of suffering. The Kingdom will not stop its tireless work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and we affirm that the Kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.

We thank the countries that recognized the Palestinian state in embodiment of international legitimacy, and we urge the rest of the countries to take similar steps.

The Kingdom is keen to cooperate with all active countries in the international community, convinced that what protects humanity and preserves its civilized values ​​is the joint pursuit of a better future based on fruitful cooperation between countries and peoples, respect for the independence and values ​​of countries, adopting the principle of good neighborliness, non-interference in their internal affairs, and avoiding resorting to force in resolving disputes.

Promoting security and peace

The Kingdom also seeks to enhance regional and international security and peace, by making efforts to reach political solutions to crises in Yemen, Sudan, Libya and others, as well as supporting solutions to international crises such as the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.

Finally, I thank the brothers and sisters in the Council and all employees in the state agencies, who serve their country with sincerity and dedication, which resulted in these remarkable achievements today. May the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.

In conclusion, the Royal Anthem was played, and then His Highness the Crown Prince left, bid farewell with the same warmth and honor with which he was received.

We are proud of the achievements of our citizens in innovation and science, and we give education the utmost importance.

The ceremony was attended by His Highness Prince Saad bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki, His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Saad bin Abdulaziz, His Highness Prince Faisal bin Abdulrahman bin Farhan, His Highness Prince Faisal bin Mohammed bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Saad bin Fahd bin Mohammed bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Miteb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Mishari bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Abdulaziz, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Royal Highness Prince Dr. Faisal bin Mohammed bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Mohammed bin Abdulaziz, His Highness Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Thunayan, His Royal Highness Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Special Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Highness Prince Dr. Bandar bin Abdullah bin Turki bin Abdulaziz bin Turki, His Highness Prince Nawaf bin Mohammed bin Abdullah, His Highness Prince Dr. Khalid bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Muqrin bin Mishari, His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, His Highness Prince Dr. Mohammed bin Salman bin Mohammed, His Highness Prince Dr. Saud bin Salman bin Mohammed, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Majed bin Abdulaziz, His Highness Prince Dr. Faisal bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Mishari, His Highness Prince Mohammed bin Saad bin Mohammed bin Saud bin Abdulrahman, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, His Highness Prince Dr. Bandar bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Mishari, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Khalid bin Abdullah bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, His Highness Prince Turki bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, His Royal Highness Prince Dr. Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Special Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Turki bin Faisal bin Turki I bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Nayef bin Mamdouh bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Turki bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz, His Highness Prince Saad bin Abdulrahman bin Saad II bin Abdulrahman, His Royal Highness Prince Mansour bin Talal bin Mansour bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Hakeem bin Musaed bin Abdulaziz, His Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Mohammed bin Saad bin Abdul Rahman, His Highness Prince Fahd bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Faisal, His Highness Prince Saud bin Nasser bin Saud bin Farhan, His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Rahman bin Turki bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Mansour bin Miteb bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Sports, His Highness Prince Sultan bin Khalid bin Faisal bin Turki, His Royal Highness Prince Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Minister of the National Guard, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Badr bin Abdul Mohsen bin Abdulaziz, His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan, Minister of Culture, His Royal Highness Prince Fahd bin Mohammed bin Saad bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Al-Kharj, His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Her Highness Princess Haifa bint Mohammed bin Saud bin Khalid, Deputy Minister of Tourism, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Faisal bin Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdul Ilah bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Majed bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz bin Hazlul bin Abdulaziz, His Highness Prince Dr. Abdulaziz bin Mohammed bin Ayyaf Al Muqrin, Special Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Deputy Minister of the National Guard, and His Highness Prince Khalid bin Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al Ayyaf Al Muqrin.