LONDON, 21 September 2005 — In a statement to mark Saudi National Day, Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the UK, who is soon to leave as ambassador to the US, adopted a reflective tone.
“Celebrating National Day is always special in Saudi Arabia,” Prince Turki said. “We celebrate the reuniting of the Kingdom in 1932 bringing peace and unity under the banner of Islam.”
Prince Turki recalled the death of King Fahd whom he described as “a much loved king.”
“We are, however, tremendously fortunate in his successor, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who is well known for his wisdom and compassionate statesmanship not just within Saudi Arabia but within the international community as a whole.”
Prince Turki referred to Crown Prince Sultan as “a man of extraordinary experience and sagacity.” Crown Prince Sultan, he pointed out, has served in ministerial and senior government capacities for over 60 years — the longest continuous service of any political figure in the world.
Prince Turki said his years of tenure as ambassador were happy ones which he would “remember with tremendous affection despite the terrible traumas that have beset our precious world during that time.”
He mentioned in particular the continuing conflict in Palestine — a subject he spoke about with great passion at last year’s Conservative Party conference — “the war in Iraq, terrorist attacks all over the world and natural disasters from the floods in Bangladesh to the tsunami in Southeast Asia and now the terrible destruction caused by hurricane Katrina.”
He said he had enjoyed maintaining and developing a strong relationship with Britain and hoped to do the same in his important new post as ambassador to the US.
The importance of the strength of the relationships between the Kingdom and the UK was supported in a statement congratulating the Kingdom on its National Day from British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
“The UK’s relationship with Saudi Arabia,” he said, “is vitally important. Our royal families maintain close links.”
Blair noted that both countries had suffered from and are determined to defeat the scourge of terrorism. “We both know that it has no justification whatsoever in the Islamic faith — which we know to be one of peace, tolerance and respect.” He said the UK was the first predominantly Christian country to organize an annual official delegation to assist the 20,000 out of the two million British Muslims who undertake Haj.
Prince Turki said during his time in the UK he had learned much more about its people, their warmth and their industriousness. “They are also open-minded and interested in the world around them outside the borders of the UK and Europe,” he said. “They are willing to see things from a global perspective.”
He mentioned one abiding memory that he would carry with him acquired from the second summer festival of Saudi Arabia in the UK.
Held in Manchester, soon after the terrorist bombings in London, the festival attracted 35,000 visitors, among them 3,000 schoolchildren, visiting on a special educational project, the largest in the UK this year.
He said he had treasured memories of watching the children’s eager faces as they rushed around the festival gazing with awe at the traditional crafts, camels and the hawks, dressing up in traditional Saudi clothes and taking part with real pleasure in the Ardha performance alongside Saudi Arabian men — and both grinning from ear to ear with delight as they caught the rhythm of the drums on a magically hot summer day.
“It is a sight that I will always remember and it will remind me of the best moments of my time here in Britain,” he added.
