Most influential leader

When a reputable magazine like The Time selected Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman as one of the world’s most influential leaders it would not be out of courtesy or without any strong reason.

The Times is known for criticizing world leaders. This time it focused on Middle East, which is now the center of attention because of the Houthi occupation of Yemen and the Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm.

Saudi Arabia stands out in the world thanks to its wise leadership that has been playing a vital role in strengthening the Kingdom and its unity. This qualifies King Salman to become one of the most influential leaders in the world and the Time’s selection of his name was quite natural.

We have seen world leaders pouring into Riyadh when he ascended the throne. We have also noticed that Arab and Muslim countries extending moral and military support to Operation Decisive Storm, which the Kingdom launched to restore legitimacy in Yemen.

King Salman’s influence and wisdom are also evident in Resolution 2216 issued by UN Security Council imposing sanctions on the Houthi militia. King Salman has worked with six kings who have ruled the Kingdom, enabling him to learn politics and administration from its masters.

As governor of Riyadh for several decades, King Salman found himself at the heart of events. It also gave him an opportunity to establish contacts with world leaders.

King Salman is the leader of an important country in the Middle East and leads one of the world’s largest economies. Saudi Arabia being the largest producer and exporter of oil plays a significant role in stabilizing world market. It receives millions of pilgrims every year and provides them with all facilities to perform Haj and Umrah.

— By Ayman Al-Hammad

Kingdom’s reputation

The Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm has been instrumental in enhancing the Kingdom’s global reputation. It was a historic decision taken by Saudi Arabia to stop Iran’s expansionist policy in the region.

It was a defensive action and adds to the Kingdom’s achievements in terms of power and reputation. The operation has realized its objectives. Arab and Muslim countries have responded favorably to the move by extending moral and military support.

The operation has been successful in bringing military balance to the region as it showed the military strength of the Saudi-led alliance, putting an end to Iran’s dirty interference in the region’s internal affairs.

The Operation Decisive Storm has stood firmly in front of Iran, along with people of the countries that have joined the alliance to block Tehran’s expansionist ambitions in the region. The action once again proved that Saudi Arabia is a stabilizing force in the region.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman’s decision to launch the historic operation puts things in the right perspectives and prevents Iran’s machinations in the region by supporting the Houthis to occupy Yemen.

This is a strong message to all regional and international forces and a successful step toward halting Tehran’s expansionist policy in the region. It also gives a strong warning to those powers, which try to undermine the region’s security and stability.

Operation Decisive Storm plays a big role in strengthening the security and stability of Arab countries. We look forward to the formation of a joint Arab force called by the recent Arab League summit in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh to safeguard Arab national security and sovereignty.

— By Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Hoqail

Iran’s panic

Ever since the launch of Operation Decisive Storm in Yemen under the leadership of Saudi Arabia it seems Iran has lost its sense and is driven by panic. This is very clear from the statements of Iranian officials, including Ali Khamenei, who have been attacking the Kingdom like never before.

The region has witnessed several crises involving Iran in the past, especially during the past 10 years but Tehran’s attitude toward Riyadh in those days was acceptable. Saudi Arabia opposed Hezbollah’s machinations during 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon but Iran did not lose its cool.

Tehran did not show its angry face when Saudi Arabia sent its forces to Bahrain as part of the Peninsula Shield Force. Saudi-Iran relations remained unaffected when Saudi Arabia supported Egypt at a decisive time. Even after the Kingdom took a firm stand on Syria, Tehran did not show its anger toward Riyadh like now.

What has happened for Tehran to change its attitude toward Saudi Arabia? It is the Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm that stands firmly against Iranian aggression in the region.

With the latest Security Council resolution, the anti-Houthi operation has gained international support.

Tehran has understood that Saudi Arabia would not accept any bargain on the Yemeni issue, although former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh had sought for a safe passage for him and his supporters from the war. Saudi Arabia wanted to change the situation in Yemen for the better. It knew that Iran would not understand except the language of power.

We look forward to the day when the Saudi-led forces move to Syria to crush Iran’s agenda in the region.

— By Tariq Alhumayed

Media professionalism

Abu Shujae is a wise man who fought with King Abdul Aziz to unify the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He has a firsthand knowledge of how the founder king brought up his children and the values he had instilled in them as well as in his fighters.

He spoke about Yemen, for which Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has launched Operation Decisive Storm to liberate the country from Houthi rebels and bring happiness and stability to Yemen and its people. He believes that Saudi leaders has been talking in a professional way than many media persons when they said the Operation Decisive Storm is a victory for Yemen and not against Yemen. The spokesman of the Saudi-led alliance Brig. Gen. Ahmad Al-Assiri also spoke to send home the same message.

But the problem with many of our writers, columnists and TV anchors is that they forget about this important fact while talking or writing profusely about the operation. This will not be good in reaching out to the Yemenis around the world. We have to give the impression that all these military operations and economic spending are for Yemen and its people. If any of them say that the operation is solely for the defense of Kingdom it would encourage some enemies to propagate that it was a Saudi invasion against Yemen.

We need a media campaign to highlight the fact that Saudi Arabia is with Yemen, by producing documentaries and showing Yemeni folk songs and dances, to get the Yemenis into confidence. Saudi Arabia has spent a lot over the past years for the overall development of Yemen.

We have unleashed our weapon for the defense of Yemen and it is time for us to use our media with high professionalism to give a correct perspective of the operation.

— By Mohammed Al-Yami

Shield of missiles

The ongoing developments in the region have emphasized that Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries are in need of a missile defense system to strengthen their security.

Brig. Gen. Ahmad Al-Assiri has stated during one of his daily briefings about Operation Decisive Storm that airstrikes carried by the Saudi-led coalition were instrumental in preventing the launch of ballistic missiles targeting cities of coalition members.

One of such missiles was ready to be launched by the Houthis from north of Sanaa but the militia failed. There are different types of missiles in the region including the hundreds of nuclear missiles possessed by Israel that can reach any Arab city. The Obama administration has sought to convince its GCC allies on the importance of developing a missile defense system. Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had given big publicity to the project but it did not materialize.

The reason was that the US initiative was solely to serve its interests using Arab money. The US wanted to make the GCC missile defense system part of the system in Europe to defend against Russian and Chinese ballistic missiles. Israel has two types of missiles. One of them is Arrow anti-ballistic missiles with medium capabilities but more powerful than that of US Patriot missiles. It has short-range missiles that were used to attack the Gazans.

Iran on the other hand possesses S300 Russian missile defense system that assists the country to carry out its illegitimate operations in the region.

Western powers have denied Arab countries nuclear and missile technologies. It is high time to break this monopoly for Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries to make anti-ballistic missiles within the next two or three decades. We have a strong leadership, technology savvy youth qualified to acquire space and aviation technology and enough wealth to make this project a reality.

— By Sami Saeed Habib

Learning lessons

Since the beginning of oil boom, Saudi Arabia has established good relations with Arab and Muslim countries. It provided financial aid to countries facing economic difficulties and suffering from natural calamities.

The incidents in Yemen have helped the Kingdom know that the billions of dollars it was pumping into Yemen to develop the country were not used properly and that it previous president embezzled a huge part of that aid.

Saudi Arabia launched Operation Decisive Storm along with other countries with the intent of correcting the situation in Yemen and end chaos and confusion in the country. We should not commit the same mistake and make sure that the money donated by the Kingdom is spent properly without being misused by corrupt leaders and officials.

UN reports have proved that the Saudi aid to Yemen has gone with winds and that only a few cheats were its real beneficiaries who on the other hand transferred those amounts to their personal bank accounts abroad. Part of this money was used to trigger chaos and problems in the country.

The Kingdom has learned an important lesson from Yemen. Consequently, it should not provide any financial aid to a foreign country in the form of money. On the other hand, it should be done in the form of development projects by signing contracts with local and international companies.

— By Shaher Al-Nahari