The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud opens here tomorrow the third year of the second round of the Shoura (Consultative) Council. In a key address, the monarch will elucidate the domestic and foreign policy of the state.
Princes, Ulamas (religious scholars), ministers and civil and military senior officials of the government have been invited to attend the event. Sheikh Mohammed Ibrahim bin Jubeir, chairman of the Shoura Council, told pressmen that the meeting of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques with the Shoura Council 'is an important event' long anticipated by the Shoura Council members. The meeting, customary every year, provides Council members with the opportunity to listen to the royal instructions of the King and his Crown Prince which will 'definitely help us to realize the noble supreme goals for this nation and its people who depend on God the Almighty'.
He added that the eagerness of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz to make an annual address focusing on the domestic and foreign policies before the opening session of the new year of Shoura Council's second round demonstrates his continuous interest and support for the Council to enable it to undertake its responsibilities and fully fulfill its duties in contributing to the progress of the nation and citizens, in accordance with the instructions of the Islamic religion. The King's commitment also constitutes an incentive to the Council's members to exert greater efforts to realize the hopes and aspirations of the people. He expressed appreciation again to the monarch for his dedication in consolidating the pillars of the Shoura principles in the Kingdom and enhancing the role of the Council in society.
He said the formation of the current Council in its developed form crowned the efforts exerted by the King over recent years to develop the methods of consultation which have been applied in the Kingdom since the fourth decade of the 14th Hijra century and developed to conform with the changing circumstances in our country and the world around us. He lauded the patronage and care being rendered to the Council and its members by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques since its establishment in 1414 AH, when the King was keen to see its members drawn from the most worthy members of the nation's society in different aspects of specialization. He provided it with all it required to help it perform its duties and enabled it to practice its work. Bin Jubeir also lauded the co-operation he had found from ministers and all officials of the government.
He expressed the hopes of the Shoura Council members that they would be able to exchange opinions and consult with the newly-formed cabinet members of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a view to enhancing the services enjoyed by the people and maintaining the collective unity, entity of the state and interests of the nation. He noted that six of the new cabinet ministers were ex-members of the Shoura Council in its two previous sessions.
The annual royal address is part of the agenda of the Council and is scheduled to take place at the beginning of every new working year. The 14th article of the Shoura Council Act states that the King or his deputy will make a key address at the new working session of the Shoura Council, focusing on the domestic and foreign policies of the government.
Source: SPA