The Kingdom has taken gigantic developmental steps in record time, covering all sectors since the ascension of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to the throne, according to Prince Muqrin, second deputy premier and adviser and special envoy of King Abdullah.
“The king has taken many reform decisions, aiming to provide a good standard of living for citizens over the past eight years. Through his wisdom and leadership, King Abdullah has strengthened the status of the Kingdom at regional and global arenas, making it play great and influential roles in regional and global events,” Prince Muqrin said in a statement on the eve of the national celebration marking the eighth anniversary of the pledge of allegiance.
The president of the Allegiance Commission, Prince Mishaal, said King Abdullah spared no efforts in providing services to his country and his people.
“We congratulate ourselves and the Saudi people on this blessed day marking the eighth anniversary of the pledge of allegiance to the king,” Prince Mishaal said.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Asheikh, president of the Council of Senior Scholars and General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta, said: “Perhaps foremost among the great achievements of King Abdullah is the expansion of the Two Holy Mosques and the improvement of pilgrim services in a way unparalleled in the history of the Two Holy Mosques.”
Expressing his thanks and extending his greetings on behalf of the people of the Makkah Province, Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal said the king achieved an exceptional position among the Saudi leadership in the present age by holding fast to the humanitarian values enshrined in the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
“He showed the world that Islam is a religion of progress and civilization, and the greatest evidence of this is the king’s efforts to conduct interfaith dialogues,” the prince said.
Pivotal role in global arena
Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal stressed the role of the king in enhancing the international status of the Kingdom, highlighting its political, economic and cultural contributions with special emphasis on the need for peace and development.
“King Abdullah has achieved his ambitious visions and translated them into a number of great initiatives to maintain international peace and security and promote development,” Prince Saud said in a statement.
He said the king strengthened the status of the Kingdom as an economic power through its membership in the Group of 20, in addition to the king’s initiative for setting up the counterterrorism center.
Wise statesmanship
Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman said the king’s wise statesmanship has enabled the Kingdom to achieve great progress in all fields, including politics, economy, science and social issues.
“The king’s goal is to achieve progress in all parts of the Kingdom by evenly distributing developmental and social projects,” the prince said.
Minister of State and Member of the Council of Ministers Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, commander of the National Guard, said: “Anyone who looks at the past years will notice the positive changes and progress that have put the nation on the threshold of a new era of economic and social development.”
Pakistani Ambassador Mohammed Naeem Khan conveyed felicitations on his own behalf and on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan, “to our Saudi brethren” on the occasion.
“It is an occasion of celebration for Pakistanis as much as it is for our Saudi brothers. Their Pakistani brothers inside the Kingdom and in Pakistan join them on this festive occasion,” he said in the message.
The ambassador said that King Abdullah has always had a special love for Pakistan and its people, having visited Pakistan on five occasions. He visited it as crown prince in 2003 and then in 2006 after he ascended the throne. “The Pakistani public will never forget the spontaneous and generous way in which King Abdullah went all out to help Pakistan when it was struck by natural calamities such as earthquake and floods,” he said.
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