Board Chairman of King Faisal Center for Islamic Research and Studies (KFCIRS) Prince Turki Al-Faisal said Saudi Arabia retains an advanced security system sufficient to deter any internal or external threats and protect its oil facilities.
Prince Turki, addressing the 21st Arab-US Policymakers Conference in Washington DC organized by the National Council on US-Arab Relations (NCUSAR), said the Kingdom’s internal security system is based on maintaining peace and security within its borders.
He said the Kingdom has played an active role in addressing foreign security concerns through building strategic ties with other countries, keeping collective security in the Gulf region and dealing with regional relations through diplomacy.
The Kingdom also strives to achieve a balance of power in the region through purchase of advanced weapons capable to secure the Kingdom against internal and external threats, according to Prince Turki.
Turning to history, Prince Turki said: “Since the death of the founder King Abdulaziz in 1953, the Kingdom has dealt with developments in the Middle East with established policies. It also exploited its oil revenues to expand economy base and provide better standards of living for its citizens.”
In 1972, the Saudi government began to talk about the acquisition of shares in Aramco Company, the oil company that was fully owned by US oil companies, followed by Saudi partnership in the oil giant company, then came the 1973 (Arab-Israeli) war, which pushed the Kingdom’s position to the forefront of the international diplomacy, he said.
He said the Kingdom’s diplomacy has remarkably succeeded to ward off turmoil and chaos experienced by the Middle East region starting with the Lebanese civil war in 1975, the 1979 Iranian revolution, the attack on the Grand Mosque, the Camp David Accords and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Despite conflicts running around, King Abdulaziz succeeded in uniting most parts of the Arabian Peninsula and created a modern national state. Since then, the Kingdom has sought to push economic development forward and surpass tribal and regional identity into larger national identity and a fully modern state, he said.
Prince Turki said the Kingdom has raised the banner of Islam since its inception and worked to serve Muslims where its role in the serving the Two Holy Mosques stands as evidence in this context. Expansion of the holy sites has allowed the number of pilgrims to grow by more than three millions, he said.
He said the Kingdom has embarked on a wide range of reforms including the system of governance based on the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah, independence of the judicial system, re-structuring of Shoura Council, expansion of employment opportunities for women to include membership in Shoura Council and their right to vote and run as candidates in elections.
In regards to economy, Prince Turki said as oil revenues grew, the Kingdom opted to expand is economy base to include vital sectors such as banks, industry, services, tourism, agriculture, and other commercial activities.
The government has encouraged young Saudis to enroll in training programs and create their own businesses, he said. By the year-end, the Kingdom will have an economy worth $600 billion, which will make it the biggest economy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, he pointed out.
Prince Turki: Kingdom’s security strong enough to deter any threats
