RIYADH: Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar has paid his respects to a group of retirees who visited his office in the Saudi capital recently.

“Dear brothers, I am pleased to welcome you today to this meeting. We are proud of you and your families,” he said, adding that while the retirees had worked hard for their respective families primarily, their efforts eventually were reflected in the development of the county.

Prince Faisal said that he was happy that they and their families are now much better off after many years of working.

He added that “this is attributed to the selfless efforts of the founder, King Abdulaziz, who laid down the foundation for what the Kingdom is now and for what its citizens are enjoying.”

He said that the sons of King Abdulaziz, including the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Salman, are continuing his efforts to carve out “a bright and prosperous future for the Kingdom and its citizens through wise leadership and judicious planning.”

“I ask God to preserve and guide this country through the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” he said.

He expressed the hope that the “retirees could look ahead into the future with optimism and live a happy life with their respective families enjoying the fruits of their hard work for many years.”

The retirees, on the other hand, expressed their happiness at meeting the Riyadh governor, who lavished them with praise for their work over the years.

“Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar won us over with his way of dealing with us; meeting him in the flesh is a memorable experience as we retire,” one of the retirees commented.