4th Term 4th Year, 1429 - 1430 A.H.

King Abdullah Opens Activities of Shoura's fourth Year for the Fourth Session

Riyadh, March 15. The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz opened here today the activities of the Shoura's fourth year for the fourth session.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General.

The Monarch was welcomed by Chairman of the Shoura Dr Saleh bin Humeid and members of the Shoura.

After recitation of verses of the Holy Quran, Dr Saleh bin Humeid, the Chairman of the Shoura, welcomed the King, the Crown Prince, Princes, Muslim scholars and senior officials who attended the inaugural ceremony.

He thanked Allah Almighty who has bestowed his bounties on the Kingdom notably the bounty of security under the wise leadership which has been dedicating its efforts in the service of the religion, people and county.

He hoped that the Shoura, which starts a new year of its activities, would realize the aspirations of the citizens.

He noted that this annual ceremony provides a good opportunity to the citizens to get acquainted with the visions, aspirations, plans and polices of the Government within the framework of the march of development being steadily led by the Leadership with a strong determination and confidence.

Dr bin Humeid noted that the Shoura which has completed its 15th year constitutes an extension to the Shoura which foundation was laid by Late King Abdulaziz, the Kingdom's Founder, before about 85 years on bases of Islam.

He pointed out that the pillars of the Shoura have been further enhanced in the era of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.

Dr bin Humeid highlighted the great attention and support given by the King to the Shoura. He noted that the decisions of the Shoura have been serving the country and the citizens through the Cabinet's decisions which are based on the decisions of the Shoura.

Citing these decisions last year, he said they included: -the system of the judiciary and the grievances court and the working executive mechanism for these two systems within the framework of the integrated project for the development of the judiciary system, which was culminated by the approval of the King to allocate SR 7 billion for it.

-regulations of determining the urban areas

-the national plan for telecommunications and information technology

-the system of combating the information crimes

-the system of electronic dealings

-the system of the general commission for food and medicine

Dr bin Humied said these systems were part of several topics studied by the Shoura last year, and subsequently the Shoura issued 21 decisions or statutes as well as 31 agreements or treaties, and 19 governmental reports including the following:

-the international agreement for curbing terror attacks

-the international agreement for curbing financing terrorism

-the protocol of combating manufacturing fire weapons and their parts, and illegally trading in them

-the international agreement for curbing works of nuclear terrorism

- The System of the Supreme Commission for housing and Real Estate Development

- Amendment to Traffic System.

- The System of Combating Commercial Fraud.

- Organizing Health Endowment.

- Credit Information System.

- The System of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

- The System of Private Associations and Institutions.

The Council has its own mechanisms to discuss issues and evaluate the bodies' performance, for instance the Council asks ministers and agency heads to appear before the Council to discuss related issues.

During the past year, a number of sessions of the Council were attended by princes, ministers and officials, namely: the Interior Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Secretary General of the Supreme Commission for Tourism, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Minister of Finance, Minister of Labor and Minister of Culture and Information.

The participation of the Shoura Council in formulating program of economic and social reform in the Kingdom has increased over the past few years through its regulatory, supervisory and advisory role.

The Council drafted and reviewed many important regulations that have had a significant impact on promoting the development march of our country, such as the Justice System, the Jurisprudence System and the National Plan for Communications and Information Technology as well as other regulations relating to traffic, work, housing, food, medicine, anti-corruption and public funds protection.

The Council also exercised its regulatory role through discussing the annual reports provided by the ministries and various government agencies in order to achieve more effective performance. Emanating from your directives to prepare strategic plans for the next five years, the Council seeks to contribute to the government movement towards a culture based on the effectiveness of performance.

In the field of Arab, Islamic and International parliamentary activities, the Council's delegations participated in several international meetings and conferences, for example:

- 1st Meeting of Heads of GCC Shoura, Representative, National and Nation Councils in Qatar.

- 5th Session of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of OIC Member States in Egypt.

- 1st Ordinary Session of the Arab Transitional Parliament in Egypt.

- 11th Afro-Arab Parliamentary Conference in Syria.

- General Meeting of International Parliamentary Union in Geneva.

- Meetings of the 3rd General Assembly of International Parliamentary Union for Social Service in Korea.

- Meeting of the 2nd General Assembly of Asian Parliaments in Iran.

- Meeting of International Parliamentary Union in Indonesia.

The Friendship Committees and the Foreign Affairs Committee affiliated to the Council visited China, Germany, Norway and Russia.

The Council received a number of Heads of Parliamentary Councils and parliamentary delegations from the United States of America, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and the United Arab Emirates.

In all these meetings and participations, the Council's representatives clarify the Kingdom's policy towards Arab, Islamic and international issues, focusing on the efforts exerted by the government as regards spreading global peace and addressing regional issues such as the situation in Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Somalia and Darfur in addition to the assistance provided by the Kingdom to all peoples, especially the Arab and Islamic peoples afflicted by crises or natural disasters.

A number of parliamentary figures came during the previous Hajj season. They were from Bahrain, Nepal, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, South Africa and Togo. They all performed Hajj and thanked the Monarch for generous hospitality and warm reception as well as facilitating the performance of Hajj.

At the domestic level during the past year, our country has witnessed many important achievements, including:

The issuance of the Regulations of Allegiance-Pledge Commission as well as the Royal Order to form the Allegiance Commission which are an extension of your reform system to complete the rotation of rule system when announced the issuance of Allegiance-Pledge Commission in Ramadan 1427H.

The Friendship Committees and the Foreign Affairs Committee affiliated to the Council visited China, Germany, Norway and Russia.

The Council received a number of Heads of Parliamentary Councils and parliamentary delegations from the United States of America, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and the United Arab Emirates.

In all these meetings and participations, the Council's representatives clarify the Kingdom's policy towards Arab, Islamic and international issues, focusing on the efforts exerted by the government as regards spreading global peace and addressing regional issues such as the situation in Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Somalia and Darfur in addition to the assistance provided by the Kingdom to all peoples, especially the Arab and Islamic peoples afflicted by crises or natural disasters.

It also witnessed the largest budget in the history of the Kingdom for the current fiscal year 1428/1429 H which achieved a surplus in imports addressed by you to building projects and completing infrastructure of many governmental and social sectors, notably the increase in allocations for housing for the coming years, the reduction of public debt and the increase in public reserve.
You continued your noble acts when you announced adding cost of living allowance to the salaries of government employees and retirees with a cumulative rate of 5% for three years in addition to that the government will bear 50% of port fees, passport fees, traffic license fees and vehicle ownership transfer fees and residence permit renewal fees for house workers as well as the 10% increase in allocation for social security and other wise decisions that reflect the state's keenness to alleviate the wave of price rises.

In this context, the past year witnessed several successes in the performance of the security services to protect our country from the evils of terrorism and the deviating thoughts through preemptive strikes by the security authorities to eliminate the plans of deviant groups aiming to influence Hajj season which achieved this year the best performance and success without any massive accidents or obstacles after the completion of largest projects at the holy sites.

The most important projects included Jamarat Bridge, the expansion of north areas of the Grand Mosque, the approval of express train between Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah and the addition of other services for pilgrims in the two holy cities.

Your generosity extends to other fields, including the establishment of King Abdullah University for Science and Technology, building industrial cities, planning to develop education, increasing number of scholarships, offering thousands of educational jobs, exempting the deceased from real estate fund premiums, supporting health and social services, compensating livestock owners, increasing barley subsidy, giving amnesty for prisoners of public right in addition to sending assistance to a number of Arab and Islamic countries, including Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan, Mauritania and Bangladesh.

The efforts exerted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince at the foreign arena resulted in positive effect on strengthening the Kingdom's relations with other countries. These efforts were embodied in the successful visits paid by you to some countries over the past year, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Italy, the Vatican, Spain, France, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco as well as visits by the Crown Prince to Russia and Kuwait in addition to visits by a number of heads and officials of countries to the Kingdom, including the visit of President of United States of America and President of France.

In all your visits paid and conferences attended by you and the Crown Prince, the firm policy of the Kingdom was clear and had strong influence on the establishment of peace, the achievement of common interests, the defusion of political and economic crises and the alleviation of suffering of the peoples of the third world, especially the Arab and Islamic states.

The movements of the leadership have demonstrated the great position enjoyed by the Kingdom at all levels. The Arab peace initiative, which was launched by you as a solution to the Palestinian cause and adopted by the Arab summit conferences and became the basis for the present peace talks, has a clear impact on shaping the desired peace in the Middle East. Your auspices of the Conference of Somali National Reconciliation in Jeddah as well as the bilateral agreement for developing and strengthening relations between Sudan and Chad in addition to the Kingdom's clear positions toward the situation in Iraq, Lebanon and other countries experiencing tension and unstable security, have contributed to peace, construction and development in these countries.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has a leading role in the success of conferences and meetings held during the past year, most notably the 19th Arab Summit and OPEC Summit of Heads of State held in Riyadh.

In OPEC Summit, You allocated $300 million as a core of a programme that funds scientific research related to energy and the environment.

In conclusion, the Shoura Council thanks the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince for their support to the Council and its members.

Then the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz delivered the following speech:

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate, Praise be to Allah, His prayer and peace be upon the last Prophet Mohammed.

Dear Brothers,

May Allah's peace and blessings be upon you,

With Allah's help, we open the fourth year of the fourth session of the Shoura Council, praying to Almighty Allah to bless our efforts and make our deeds sincere to Him.

Dear Brothers,

I had two choices. The first one is to review with you the achievements of the last period including policies, regulations, programmes and projects which are in the interest of the country and citizens. The second one is to talk to you from heart of heart far away from the numbers and accomplishments known by every male and female citizen. This is included in the expanded speech distributed to you.

Dear Brothers:

How best is the time and place for meeting you. Time is one of working days, good giving and appreciation of ideas vibrant with the good, affiliation and nationalism. Meanwhile, place is one of the homeland's houses respecting freedom and recognizing responsibility.

Freedom is in thought and objective and balanced criticism and responsibility is an integrity that has neither exaggeration nor stubbornness. We preserve our freedom, define its characteristics and tell the world that these are our values and noble morals derived from our religion.

I say this to you, affirming that responsible freedom is a right to every pure citizens being in love with the spiritual and material achievements of this homeland. Our homeland will be glorious, dear and superior in a time which has no room for the weak and hesitating persons. Established on the will of God and the determination of great men who jostled shoulder to shoulder behind the leader of their unity King Abdulaziz (May Allah bless their souls) in a march which envious and hateful persons wanted to be a failure, but God wanted to be a glory and victory, this homeland is a field of competition for the honest people for the glory of the nation.

We must surround this country by honorable expressions of love and loyalty. It is our historic experience which we defend and we are proud of it. It is the vision that is proceeding on in its track firmly and strongly among rugged routes that can not impede the souls which are relying on Allah.

Dear Brothers:

Almighty Allah witnesses that I have not hesitated any time to direct severe faithful criticism to myself. This is for fearing the integrity which I shoulder. This integrity is my fate and my responsibility before Almighty Allah, but Allah's mercy is great. I derived from it the determination to see myself.

The soul which directs hard and objective criticism is capable to make this as a strength that downs the wrong and upholds the right.

Let us all remember that we are responsible before Allah, our people and nation, we should always remember this verse: "And indeed We have created man, and We know what his own self whispers to him. And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein". So, the pride and glory will be with the help of Allah. Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.

Following is the full text of the written speech addressed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the members of the Shoura Council:

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate,

Thank to Allah and Peace and Blessings be upon Prophet Mohammed,

Dear Brothers of Shoura Council Members,

May Peace and Allah's Mercy and Blessings be upon you.

With Allah's help, we open the fourth year of the fourth session of the Shoura Council, praying to Almighty Allah to bless our efforts and make our deeds sincere to Him. We ask Allah to complete our noble purposes, make our experience successful, make our thinking right and make our sincerity pure in a hard, concerned and fluctuated world where nothing preserves our experience and achievements except for the mercy of Allah Almighty and our full awareness of the course of humanitarian experiments that have not accelerated their paces before knowing their own path.

Dear Brothers:

Political stability is a prerequisite for maintaining the entity of the State and developing and protecting its achievements. Therefore, the ruling rotation system was completed by the issuance of Allegiance-Pledge Commission and its Regulations as well as the forming of Allegiance-Pledge Commission in addition to updating the judiciary system and grievances court system as well as the allocation of SR7 billion for the development of judiciary.

In the economic field, we have worked on improving and developing the existing infrastructure projects. New projects in various sectors have been approved to achieve balanced development among the regions of the Kingdom. SR 165 billion were allocated in the current year's budget to be spent on new and existing projects. These projects will contribute (with the help of Allah) to raise the economic growth rates and job opportunities.

The education and training sectors have taken their own shares of attention. We hope that 'Development' Project will contribute to the field of public education by developing the capacity of Saudi students and making them able to absorb the scientific developments. The public education is the basis of any scientific progress and real development. The higher education has witnessed a great leap where the number of universities increased to cover all regions of the Kingdom.

The energy and environment fields have taken the attention of your leadership. This was reflected in the convention of the 3rd OPEC Summit in November in Riyadh, resulting in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's announcement of allocating $300 million to finance researches on energy, environment and climate change.

When your government draws its policies and develops its programmes, it takes into account the public interest, senses the needs of citizens and addresses any problem or phenomenon emerging in the Saudi society. Therefore, it has established a number of government commissions and departments as well as private associations concerned with the affairs and interests of citizens, including (National Commission for Protecting Integrity and Fighting Corruption), (General Commission for Housing) and (Consumer Protection Association).

Also, a main unit has been established in the Ministry of Trade and Industry as an Agency dealing with consumers' affairs. The government will work - with the help of Allah - on achieving development and raising the standard of living of citizens as well as improving the quality of the citizens' life.

Dear Brothers:

The deviant group sought to develop their destructive capabilities to inflict greater damage on the homeland and its achievements. It also extended its base of support. However, I assure you of our continuation and determination to confront this group. Your brothers of brave security men have achieved successive accomplishments in dismantling the deviant group's cells, choking up its sources of financing and revealing the reality of its thought. We thank and appreciate the security men and May Allah bless the martyrs' souls.

Dear Brothers:

The Palestinian cause has witnessed developments in recent months which we hope that they will promote peace option. In this regard, we emphasize the position of the government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who support the Palestinian people to regain their legitimate rights. We also renew the commitment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arab to peace initiative.

Dear Brothers:

From here, I address every citizen saying: When I advise you and myself to fear Allah and to be keen on having among us neither oppressor nor oppressed, neither depriver nor the deprived, and neither strong nor weak, we are all beloved brothers in one homeland where we adhere to bonds of our religion, sacrifice our lives for it, adhere to the unity of nation and does not hear appeals of ignorance age whether they put on dresses of sectarian, regional or tribal extremism. Your strong unified state will remain (Allah willing) stronger than any challenges. All at home and abroad must be aware that the period of chaos and dissension eliminated by the founder late King Abdulaziz Al-Saud (May Allah bless his soul) has gone without return. With the help of Allah, this period will only be a memory that enhances concepts of morality and affiliation to this nation; an affiliation that estimates difficulties and transforms them into determination, will and change.

May peace and Allah's mercy and blessings be upon you.

Following that, the members of Shoura Council were honored by greeting the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General.

Then, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was briefed on the proposed plans to expand the council.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by Prince Miteb bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, the Interior Minister; Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh region; Prince Khalid bin Abdullah bin Abdurrahman; Prince Abdulilah bin Abdulaziz; Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh region; Prince Mohammed bin Saad bin Abdulaziz, adviser to the Interior Minister; Prince Miqren bin Abdulaziz, Chief of General Intelligence; the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom; a number of Muslim scholars, ministers; senior officials and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Kingdom.