Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, inaugurated the second year of the second session of the Majlis Al-Shoura (Consultative Council) by recalling that the Shoura (consultative) approach, based on Islamic principles, had formed an integral part of the Saudi state throughout its 250 year history.

The first Shoura Council in the current Saudi state was established by King Abdul Aziz (Ibn Saud) 72 years ago: "But," said King Fahd, "because of positive developments in the country over the past several years, we had to issue a new system to ensure the Shoura Council would be able to fulfill its national duties as required. These measures included an expansion of the Council, increasing the number of its members to 90."

The Saudi monarch praised the accomplishments of the Shoura Council during the past year and said that "this annual meeting, designed to review domestic and foreign policy and to cast light on major developments affecting our progress, also provided an opportunity to re-read the lesson of the Shoura as prescribed by Islam.

"Thanks to its keenness on sustained development and its balanced policy, the Government was able to avoid the economic and social collapse that has affected others. Despite slowness in the economy due to certain regional and international circumstances and the fluctuation in oil prices, the wheel of development has never stopped turning. We continue with giant projects in all fields," King Fahd declared.