Saudi Arabia marks 94th National Day
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) celebrated its 94th National Day on September 23 and the occasion arrives as the Kingdom stands in a position of glory, achieving one accomplishment after another through clear development plans grounded in a comprehensive national vision.
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This vision, spearheaded by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, aims at fostering growth, prosperity and establishing the nation as a beacon on the global stage.
On September 23, 1932, His Majesty King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud unified the scattered parts and splintered tribes of the Arabian Peninsula and established the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an Islamic state whose flag proclaims monotheism with the Holy Quran and the Prophet Sunnah of Prophet Muhammed as its constitution.
King Abdulaziz spent most of his life strengthening relations with countries while developing and advancing the Kingdom in various fields until it became one of the most prominent countries in the world.
Legacy
The progress the Kingdom is experiencing today is a continuation of the legacy crafted by the great and wise leader and one of the richest gains of the country is the pride in serving Islam and Muslims and the security and safety it enjoys under the successive wise leaderships in Governance.
The Kingdom enjoys security, safety and stability, with the objective of building a progressive state with influential power both locally and internationally. His righteous sons carried on the journey after him, allowing the Kingdom to flourish in this prosperous era under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and HRH the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.
Saudi Vision 2030
The Crown Prince Mohammed took the leadership in the restructuring of Saudi Arabia's economy, which he officially announced in April 2016 when he introduced Vision 2030, the country's strategic orientation for the next 15 years.
Vision 2030 plans to reform Saudi Arabia's economy towards a more diversified and privatised structure. It details goals and measures in various fields, from developing non-oil revenues and privatisation of the economy to e-government and sustainable development.
One of the major motives behind this economic restructure through Vision 2030 can be traced back to Saudi Arabia's reliance on a rentier economy, as a limit on oil resources makes its sustainability a problem in the future. While the country claims to own a proven reserve of 266.58 billion barrels of crude oil, the energy analyst, Matthew R. Simmons, estimates the true number to be far less, as the last non-Saudi report by the General Accounting Office in 1978 only mentioned 110 billion barrels.
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Country’s achievements
Proud of their country’s achievements and to build on its successes, citizens and residents alike commemorate this joyous occasion under a wise leadership that uses all means to secure their comfort and prosperity, and that continues to steer the country towards a bright future.
Saudi embassies in various countries around the world hosted great prestigious ceremonies to commemorate the 94th National Day of the Kingdom and during the celebration in Ghana, the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Ghana, Sultan Abdul-Rahman Al-Dakhel, said Saudi Arabia is Ghana’s oldest bilateral partner in the Gulf Region and the relations between the two countries had paved the way for the expansion of its bilateral relations to the rest of the countries in the region.
Saudi Ghana relations
The relations between the Kingdom and Ghana is characterised by mutual respect and cooperation in various fields, and this was recently represented through the signing of many agreements and memoranda of understanding between the two countries.
Saudi-Ghana relations are indeed diverse and far-reaching, spanning multiple sectors — Political, Economic, Investment and Health — epitomized in recent times with the visit of the Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
The participation of many ministers and other Ghanaian officials in conferences and forums in the Kingdom, as well as the recent inauguration of the expansion project of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital on August 15, 2024, funded by the Saudi Fund for Development, and commissioned by His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, attest to their excellent relations.
Relief activities
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre has also stepped up its relief activities in Ghana by providing humanitarian services to the good people of Ghana. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia indeed goes to great lengths to provide exceptional services and facilities to pilgrims and visitors from around the world, including Ghana, ensuring a comfortable and spiritual experience during Hajj and Umrah.
In the field of education, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s leading scholarship destination for students as it continues to remain a priority partner for Ghana. The Saudi Government has extended and continues to extend scholarships to many Ghanaian youth to study in universities in Saudi Arabia.
Contributions
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has contributed in vital areas of Ghana’s national development, including education, health care, energy road construction, as well as donations to build mosques, orphanages and provision of potable water in Ghana.
The Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr Collins Adumako-Mensah, who represented the government at the ceremony, commended the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its contribution to the socio-economic development of the country, especially in the areas of energy, educational development, humanitarian assistance, agriculture and infrastructure.
He said Ghana’s relations with the kingdom dated back to the 1960s and the fruitful cooperation had culminated in the signing of a number of agreements between the two countries, including the recent agreements on military cooperation, an agreement between the Ghana Export Promotion Authority and the Saudi Export Agency, with the aim of promoting non-oil exports and business opportunities between the two countries.
Conclusion
Mr Adumako-Mensah encouraged Saudi investors to take advantage of the conducive business climate in Ghana and the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area to do business in the country. He enumerated a number of projects the Saudi government had undertaken in Ghana, including the recent rehabilitation and expansion of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital to improve health care in Ghana.
He said Ghana was resolved to cooperate with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to promote global peace and security, and assured the international community of a peaceful and fair general election on December 7.