JEDDAH, 13 April 2005 — Saudi Arabia reaffirmed yesterday that it would not allow any “deviant or corrupt group” to undermine the country’s security and stability. “We’ll leave no stone unturned in our bid to combat terror,” Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd told the Shoura Council.
Inaugurating the 150-member council’s first session of a new four-year term, King Fahd said the Kingdom would go ahead with its reform and development programs. He stressed the government’s efforts to achieve speedy growth in all sectors and estimated total investments in the industrial sector at more than SR260 billion.
“There are 3,700 factories providing 354,000 jobs,” he added.
In his keynote address, which dealt with foreign policy, economic liberalization, privatization programs, women’s jobs and Arab League reforms, King Fahd reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to stabilize world oil market. “We’ll work to achieve a balance between the interests of producers and consumers,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted him as saying.
The Shoura inauguration comes a day after King Fahd reshuffled the consultative body, inducting highly educated and experienced professionals and expanding its membership from 120 to 150.
More than two-thirds of its members hold doctorates. Shoura Chairman Dr. Saleh Bin-Humaid and its members took oath before the king during the ceremony.
Bin-Humaid thanked the king for widening the council’s role and said he hoped for greater progress over the next four years. “I am sure that the coming sessions would witness major qualitative and objective changes in terms of the Shoura’s responsibilities, powers, structure and mode of work,” he added.
Shoura members echoed his call, saying the body should have more oversight of government decisions. “We will need to discuss the budget and important ministries like the oil ministry,” said Abdul Aziz Al-Oraier. Economist Ehsan Bu-Hulaiga said the council had made strides toward playing a legislative role and was “progressing” in its quest for scrutiny of the government.
King Fahd lambasted the “deviant group”, the government’s term for Al-Qaeda militants, for carrying out a series of terrorist attacks in the Kingdom, killing innocent people and destroying public and private property.
“There is no place in our religion for violence, intolerance, extremism, oppression, terrorism and aggression on innocent people and their properties. Islam has nothing to do with such practices. A true Muslim will keep away from them and will not sympathize with its perpetrators. We’ll not allow a corrupt group led by deviant thoughts to undermine our country’s security and stability,” he said.
King Fahd referred to the recent nationwide anti-terror campaign, which lasted for 15 days, as well as the Counterterrorism International Conference in Riyadh, which was attended by delegates from 60 countries and organizations.
The Riyadh conference had called for a pivotal UN role in settling regional disputes peacefully to prevent terrorist organizations from exploiting the suffering of peoples.
The Kingdom has been successful in its anti-terror campaign. Last week, security forces killed 15 terrorists in a fierce gunbattle in Al-Rass, 320 kilometers northwest of Riyadh. The Interior Ministry yesterday identified four more terrorists shot dead in the battle as Naif ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Aushen, Walid ibn Muhammad Al-Samaani, Miteb ibn Hilal Al-Maqati and Saad ibn Muhammad Al-Oqail.
The king’s speech also dealt with economic reforms, which will help cope with international developments and achieve greater progress and prosperity. He said the Kingdom’s Five-Year Development Plans were aimed at developing manpower and improving its productiveness, adding that the 8th five-year plan would create more jobs for Saudis. He referred to last year’s Cabinet decision that called for expanding job opportunities for women.
He expected that the new five-year plan (2005-2010) would strengthen the country’s diversification program by creating new non-oil revenue sources and promoting the private sector’s role in production and investment as well as in competing with international companies.
The plan has given priority to economic stability, modernization, privatization and administrative development.
“The new plan also aims at creating a suitable atmosphere to increase national and foreign investment while continuing public investments in development sectors and improving performance of government agencies,” he said, adding that it would also increase Saudi exports.
King Fahd renewed Saudi Arabia’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and called for an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. He hoped the Iraqis would be able to build a new, united, stable and secure Iraq.
The king urged the Lebanese people to stand united and keep away from actions that would create division. He also stressed the importance of the new Arab League charter for unity and solidarity.
In his address, Chairman Bin-Humaid said the Shoura Council had won international acclaim within a short span of time.
“We have achieved membership in Arab, Islamic and international parliamentary federations in the last four years,” he said. He also noted King Fahd’s political, economic and judicial reforms, and his efforts in protecting human rights and promoting national dialogue.
During the last four-year term, the Shoura Council discussed 438 vital topics related to development, took 387 resolutions regarding laws, agreements, charters and annual reports of ministries and government departments, Bin-Humaid said, adding that Shoura members had full freedom in expressing their views.
He said the expansion of the Shoura would realize three goals: Unity, representation of all regions and strengthening the council to take appropriate decisions.
He said the new Shoura Council is distinguished with a team of highly qualified people who are specialized in many fields.
