JEDDAH, 24 September 2005 — Saudi Arabia yesterday celebrated its 75th National Day with pomp and pageantry, highlighting the heroic efforts made by King Abdul Aziz to unify the country and pinning much hope on the new leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan received messages of congratulations on the National Day from world leaders including US President George W. Bush, Chinese President Hu Jintao, French President Jacques Chirac, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas sent a message to King Abdullah, commending Riyadh’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
The Riyadh Municipality yesterday organized a variety of programs at King Abdul Aziz Gardens in the capital, drawing more than 60,000 visitors, the Saudi Press Agency said. There were stage performances by children, folklore dances by well-known troupes, heritage shows and a pavilion of handicrafts, it added.
The government has declared today, Saturday, a public holiday to mark the National Day as the annual event fell on a Friday this year.
Many organizations across the country have planned a variety of programs for the day. Dar Al-Hekma College in Jeddah said it would hold a variety of programs with the participation of more than 600 women students.
Saudi missions abroad held special functions to mark the occasion. Asir Governor Khaled Al-Faisal attended a cultural event at the Saudi Embassy in Paris which included an Ardha folklore dance and an art and cultural exhibition.
A Saudi art show will open at the Paris Municipality today with the participation of Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani.
In a statement on the occasion, Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Dr. Abdul Aziz Khoja underscored the remarkable achievements made by the Kingdom in educational, social, health, industrial and technological fields in the past 75 years. He said the strong bond between the Saudi leadership and people would further strengthen the country.
Saudi Charge d’Affairs in Tehran Dakhil Al-Anazi highlighted the deep-rooted relations between the Kingdom and Iran and noted the two countries’ political weight at Islamic and international levels. Saudi Arabia receives every year nearly 700,000 Iranian pilgrims who come for Haj and Umrah, he pointed out.
All the major dailies of Pakistan published special editions on Saudi Arabia yesterday, carrying messages of facilitations from President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and President of Pakistan Muslim League Shujahat Hussain.
Saudi Ambassador to Islamabad Ali Saeed Aseeri met with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and presented him a check for $138,000 that will be utilized for rehabilitating drug addicts. Aseeri later hosted a grand reception attended by top Pakistani officials.
In Manila, Saudi Ambassador Muhammad Amin Waliy held a reception which was attended by top Philippine officials including former President Fidel Ramos, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, who represented President Gloria Arroyo, and several ministers. Filipino Siamese twins who were separated at a Riyadh hospital last year on the directives of King Abdullah also attended the ceremony.
— Additional input by Azhar Masood in Islamabad
