On behalf of King Salman, the Saudi Crown Prince delivers the annual royal speech to the Shura Council

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On behalf of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, delivers, on Wednesday, the annual royal speech to open the work of the third year of the ninth session of the Shura Council.

For his part, the Speaker of the Shura Council, Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh, stressed that this occasion embodies the leadership’s care for the Council and its role in the process of national action, saying: “The annual royal speech represents a national reference that guides the Shura Council in performing its mission and serving the nation and the citizen, with the contents it contains that shape the state’s directions and priorities.”

He pointed out that the speech has gained a solid position over the years as a comprehensive national document that reviews the Kingdom’s policies and directions, keeps pace with the rapid development and transformations it is witnessing, and illuminates for the Council its paths of action in developing the legislative system and enhancing performance efficiency, in a way that contributes to achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and its future aspirations.

The Speaker of the Shura Council stated that during the work of the second year of the ninth session, the Council continued to perform its legislative and oversight tasks, as it held 46 sessions, during which it issued 555 decisions that dealt with the annual reports of government agencies, systems and regulations, and memorandums of understanding and cooperation, in a way that contributes to developing performance and supporting the comprehensive development process in the Kingdom.

He explained that the Council’s specialized committees played an active role in studying the issues presented to the Council. During the past Shura year, 376 meetings were held, in which 331 officials from relevant authorities participated, within the framework of discussing topics, completing aspects of their studies, and enhancing integration and coordination with government agencies, in a way that enriches the Council’s work and raises the quality of its outputs.

He stated that the Shura Council, as an extension of the Kingdom's international presence and influential status, recorded remarkable activity in parliamentary diplomacy, through 135 internal and external parliamentary activities, which varied between participations, meetings and visits, and contributed to strengthening relations with councils and parliaments, and opening broader horizons for cooperation and exchange of parliamentary expertise and experiences.

He said: “The support that parliamentary diplomacy enjoys from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the support and empowerment of the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has enabled the Council to expand its circle of presence and partnerships in regional and international parliamentary forums and organizations, and to contribute effectively to addressing issues of common interest, in a way that serves the Kingdom’s interests and reflects its positions and orientations.”

He stressed that the Kingdom’s presidency of the current session of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union and its hosting of its work, under the patronage of King Salman, and with the support of the Saudi Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, embody the Kingdom’s role in supporting joint Arab action, enhancing the effectiveness of parliamentary diplomacy as a path for rapprochement, consultation and coordination of positions towards Arab issues, and consolidating dialogue and cooperation in a way that supports the security, stability and prosperity of the region.