On Behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, HRH the Crown Prince Inaugurates Third Year of Shura Council's Ninth Session
On behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, inaugurated the third year of the Shura Council's ninth session on Wednesday.
Upon arrival at the Shura Council headquarters, HRH the Crown Prince was received by Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, and Speaker of the Shura Council Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Al-Sheikh.
Following the playing of the Royal Anthem, HRH the Crown Prince was greeted by Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council Dr. Mishal Al-Sulami, Assistant Speaker of the Shura Council Dr. Hanan Al-Ahmadi, Secretary-General of the Shura Council Mohammed Al-Mutairi, and the chairs of the council's specialized committees.
The ceremony commenced with a recitation from the Holy Quran, after which the speaker of the Shura Council delivered the following address:
"Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the noblest of prophets and messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions.
Your Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister,
Your Royal Highnesses,
Your Eminences, Your Graces, Your Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.
Your Royal Highness,
This is a blessed day for the Shura Council, which is honored by your presence on this happy occasion as you deliver the annual Royal Address and inaugurate the third year of the council's ninth session on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. We bid you a warm welcome, Your Royal Highness, and pray that Allah blesses your steps and endeavors.
Your Royal Highness,
Since its inception, the Shura Council has enjoyed the support and care of the wise leadership, which has made it a pillar of development in this cherished nation. Today, a decade after the launch of Saudi Vision 2030, the council draws inspiration from the Vision. By the grace of Allah and through Your Royal Highness's continuous oversight, the Vision has helped turn ambitions into a reality of achievements, as figures and indicators across all sectors show.
Your Royal Highness,
Today, under your patronage, the Shura Council continues its national mission of reviewing legislation and overseeing performance. During the second year of its ninth session, the council held 46 meetings and issued 555 resolutions on laws, regulations, agreements, treaties, memoranda of understanding, and the annual reports of government agencies. Internationally, reflecting the Kingdom's political and economic weight in the region and the world, the council maintained an active and effective presence through its membership in parliamentary unions and organizations and its extensive ties with the parliaments of brotherly and friendly countries. The contributions and cooperation of government agencies also played a key role in accomplishing many of the tasks within the council's mandate.
Your Royal Highness,
Your presence today reflects the great care and high regard that the wise leadership has for the Shura Council. In closing, I once again welcome Your Royal Highness, and on behalf of myself and the council's officials, members, and staff, I express our deep gratitude and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and to Your Royal Highness for your continuous support for the council and its work, and for the progress and advancement the country has achieved. I also take this opportunity to commend the council's members and staff for their dedicated efforts. I pray to Allah Almighty to grant you success and guide your steps, and to preserve the goodness, prosperity, and stability our nation enjoys; He is All-Hearing and Ever-Responsive.
May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you."
On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, HRH the Crown Prince then delivered the annual Royal Address. The text follows:
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Brothers and sisters,
Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.
On behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may Allah protect him, we open, with Allah’s help, the third year of the ninth session of the Shura Council, asking Almighty Allah to grant us success.
Our blessed state will mark 300 years since its establishment on the upcoming Founding Day. Throughout its history, it has been founded on the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, adhering to monotheism and justice — a path from which we will not deviate — while preserving its heritage and authentic values, which grow deeper and stronger as the days pass. This has strengthened citizens’ adherence to their pure faith and firmly rooted national identity.
Allah has honored our state by entrusting it with the service and development of the Two Holy Mosques and the care of their visitors. This is an extension of our inherited commitment in this regard, reflecting our pride in this great honor with which Allah has distinguished us.
Brothers and sisters,
Ten eventful years of Vision 2030 have seen the performance indicators for its programs and strategies achieve %93 of their targets, thanks to Allah and then to the performance and efficiency of Saudi men and women, who have been the foundation of every success.
Non-oil exports grew by %155 compared with 2016, reflecting the growing presence of products from this sector. The private sector’s contribution to the economy rose to %51, while the transport and logistics ecosystem demonstrated its ability to respond to changes in supply chains and maintain the smooth flow of goods and services.
The Public Investment Fund has embarked on its strategy for the next five years, focusing on building highly competitive domestic economic ecosystems in pivotal partnership with the private sector, enhancing local content to achieve economic transformation and, at the same time, generating sustainable financial returns. The National Development Fund is also contributing to the development of numerous sectors, supported by annual financing that ensures the achievement of their targets.
The Kingdom is advancing globally across many indicators, ranking first in the Digital Readiness Framework, the ICT Development Index and the cybersecurity indicator, and second in the GovTech Maturity Index. It has also entered the list of the 10 jurisdictions most attractive for mining investment.
We have designated 2026 as the “Year of Artificial Intelligence,” reaffirming our commitment to making the Kingdom a global leader in developing applications and artificial intelligence solutions, using them to increase productivity, improve the quality of services, and train Saudi talent.
Brothers and sisters,
Current events in the region show that long-term planning does not mean rigidity or stagnation; it means the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
Amid the successive transformations the world is witnessing, the importance of the reforms that have diversified our economy has become clear. These reforms have strengthened Saudi Arabia's resilience in times of crisis and enabled it to turn threats into opportunities to reinforce its standing and pursue its development priorities efficiently and sustainably.
Current conditions attest to the resilience of the national economy, the maturity of its business sector, the strength of state institutions, and the economy's fiscal sustainability.
At the core of the Kingdom's economic policies are developing national capabilities, empowering promising sectors, attracting local and international investment, and directing resources toward the areas with the greatest economic and social impact. This approach safeguards our ability to fund development priorities and sustains our achievements for future generations.
The fundamental goal of everything the state does is the advancement and prosperity of the nation and a better quality of life for its people. Education and healthcare remain at the forefront of our priorities and receive significant allocations in the state budget. The General Education Law was enacted to raise the quality of education to a globally advanced level, while the healthcare transformation is progressing rapidly to ensure the highest quality of service and comprehensive coverage for all citizens.
Building on our success in reducing unemployment, we are investing in human capital to maximize citizens' opportunities to enter the labor market, enabling them to compete and excel in all fields as the driving force of development. Real estate reforms have provided citizens with diverse options, improved market efficiency, and raised homeownership rates. We remain committed to addressing the sector's challenges and taking decisive steps that benefit citizens in all aspects of their lives, without compromising development or the resources of future generations, while safeguarding the state's financial and economic stability.
Brothers and sisters,
Your country possesses highly capable human and military resources that are fully able, by the grace of Allah, to confront and deter threats from any source.
The attacks targeting the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states underscore that Gulf security and stability are indivisible. We are working with our brothers to safeguard Gulf security, pursue strategic cooperation and economic integration, and continue implementing the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for strengthening joint Gulf action, in order to achieve the GCC's goals and meet the aspirations of its citizens.
As part of our efforts to strengthen regional stability, avert the consequences of tension and conflict, and coordinate action, the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was concluded between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Türkiye, and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It stems from our shared commitment to fulfilling our role in enhancing regional security and stability. In this regard, we appreciate the support shown to the Kingdom by brotherly and friendly nations and their contributions to bolstering regional peace and stability.
Today, the world is facing an energy crisis with uncertain outcomes. In this crisis, the Kingdom has served as a safeguard for global energy security by providing oil supplies to international markets despite the escalation. The Kingdom also took the initiative to establish the Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance to enhance maritime security, protect shared interests in international sea lanes, and prevent their exploitation as a tool of political or economic pressure. The Kingdom is making every effort, together with its partners, to strengthen international cooperation to maintain security, reduce escalation, and defuse tensions in pursuit of regional and international stability. We also stress the need for the international community to swiftly fulfill its responsibilities to ensure the safe flow of essential goods and humanitarian assistance.
We strongly condemn the continued brutal attacks by the occupation authority against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, as well as its repeated violations of Al-Aqsa Mosque. We call on the international community, and the Board of Peace in particular, to play its anticipated role in reaching a lasting political solution.
The Kingdom's commitment to the rights of the Palestinian people is a firm position and an ongoing endeavor that will not cease until the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights, including the establishment of their independent state in accordance with international terms of reference.
In Yemen, the Kingdom reaffirms its comprehensive support, through the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, for the Yemeni government to extend its authority throughout the country, restore stability, and confront the attacks of the terrorist Houthi militias, which have chosen chaos and destruction and the threatening of the Yemeni people and the region as their course of action.
The Kingdom also reaffirms its firm support for Sudan's unity and stability, the preservation of its legitimate institutions, and sparing its people the tragedies of war and destruction.
Brothers and sisters,
We affirm that we are making every possible effort to reduce escalation and support diplomatic solutions, without the slightest compromise when it comes to safeguarding our security. We will not hesitate to respond firmly to any threat or attack that seeks to undermine it.
In conclusion, we take pride in our valiant heroes for confronting all forms of threats and for their vigilance and constant readiness, so that security continues to protect our country, stability serves as its shield, and prosperity remains its course.
We also thank the brothers and sisters, members of the Shura Council, for their valued efforts.
May Allah's peace and blessings be upon you."
The Royal Anthem was then played, after which HRH the Crown Prince departed amid the same warm reception and honors extended to him upon his arrival.
