Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah plays a notable role at all levels in terms of uniting the Arab and Islamic nations’ efforts and strengthening their positions against the challenges they face.
Even when he was the crown prince, King Abdullah had always manifested Saudi Arabia’s Islamic and moral basis.
The Kingdom had been following a steady policy toward brotherly countries based on balanced relations with all of them, which strengthened its role as an honest mediator to solve differences and tackle disputes.
When a reconciliation committee was formed during the urgent 1985 Arab- League meeting in Morocco, to clear the air between some member countries, King Abdullah — then crown prince — was elected to preside over it.
He carried out several trips between Jordan, Syria and Iraq, and his efforts resulted in reconciliation between those countries.
King Abdullah has always been honest and outspoken about his desire to strengthen Arab relations.
His concern for Arab and Islamic issues was demonstrated also in Gulf Cooperation Council meetings, in which he called for Arab unity and for reaching a just solution to the Palestinian issue that he considered the only way for peace in the region.
“Preserving Al-Quds identity is a sacred duty. Protecting Al-Quds is not a matter that only concerns Muslims or the international community, but it is a concern of any conscious man,” he said at the Gulf Cooperation Council’s 19th meeting held in Abu Dhabi in 1998.
In the 21st meeting in Manama, he said the region politically was still facing the same issues that caused it instability.
“On top of these issues is the Palestinian issue and the worsening situation in the occupied lands that is a result of Israeli forces’ continuous aggression against the Palestinian people,” he said.
In the next meeting in Muscat in 2001, the Custodian of the the Two Holy Mosques called on Arabs and Muslims to reform.
“We have to self-assess ourselves before we assess others.”
“What have we (Arab countries) done to implement the collective defense treaty and what have we done to achieve economic unity.”
“All our efforts must be directed toward reform,” he urged.
In terms of peace, King Abdullah announced what was later called ‘Arabs Peace Initiative’ during the Arab Summit in Beirut in 2002.
