Riyadh Deputy Gov. Prince Turki bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz attended Thursday the German Unity Day celebrations hosted by Ambassador Dieter W. Haller at his residence in the Diplomatic Quarter (DQ).

The governor said he was honored to attend the celebrations. The event was also attended by top Saudi officials, diplomats and CEOs.

“Thank you very much and Happy National Day,” said Prince Turki. “Germany is a friendly country and we look forward to further strengthening our ties,” he said.

Ambassador Haller expressed happiness and gratitude to the guests for joining in the celebrations.

“We’re honored by your presence,” he said. “We want to celebrate our National Day in joy and gratitude with you, our Saudi friends, fellow ambassadors and the members of the German community.”

The ambassador thanked all “those in the Kingdom who trust us, who engage with us and share their knowledge — be they in the government, in the Shoura Council, in the private sector or in the academic world."

“This is also a moment to say ‘thank you’ to all our fellow countrymen who, through their commitment, make our partnership with the Kingdom strong and vibrant,” he said.

The German envoy also thanked his fellow diplomats.

“I thank my team which includes my new deputy, Michael Ohnmacht, and the new head for cultural and legal affairs Franziska Schirmer. Special thanks go to tech servicves head Wolfgang Unkelbach, Sabine Hudeib, Birgit Fleckenstein and Wolfgang Groetsch for their assistance,” he said.

The guests were equally excited.

“I’m happy for having been invited to this celebration,” said Abdullah Zaid Al Meleihi, Al Ramez International Group president. “I could feel the deep feelings of patriotism as the Saudi and German national anthems were being played at the outset of the celebration.”

Salem Al-Qahtani of the Shoura Council said: “I’m happy for being here. Aside from meeting new friends, I could feel the warmth and friendship among those who were here for the celebrations.”