NEW DELHI/HONG KONG, 29 January 2006 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah urged Arabs yesterday to unite under the banner of Islam.
“Islam must be given priority over Arabism as it united the Arabs . . . when they were divided,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the king as saying.
King Abdullah made this comment while receiving Arab ambassadors and heads of Arab missions in New Delhi on Friday before leaving for Hong Kong at the conclusion of his historic visit to India.
“I am happy to learn that our people in the Arab world believe in this principle,” the king said and hoped that Arabs would unite, giving priority to their common interests like the European countries.
“There are no wars or enmity or problems between Arab countries but some evil forces are working to divide them,” King Abdullah told the ambassadors.
“Unity will strengthen the Ummah and help restore its glory,” the Saudi leader said and hoped that the unity of Arabs would not take long.
“We have seen other countries forging unity, despite their differences. On the other hand, we Arabs are one in terms of our religion and faith. So we need not be disappointed,” he added.
“We have to work together to establish truth and justice and unify the Arab ranks,” he added.
Abdullah spoke high about his four-day visit to India, which saw the signing of 15 bilateral agreements including a landmark anti-terror pact and a joint declaration on strategic energy partnership.
King Abdullah arrived in Hong Kong yesterday, accompanied by a high-level delegation including Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and Chief of General Intelligence Prince Muqrin as well as senior Cabinet members such as Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi and Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf.
Assaf said Abdullah’s visit, the first by a Saudi king to India in 50 years, showed his desire to promote the longstanding relations between the two countries.
Speaking at the Institute of Economic Development in Delhi University, Assaf said the interdependence of Saudi Arabia, being the world’s largest oil exporter, and India, whose energy requirements are growing steadily, gave greater scope for strengthening bilateral cooperation.
