Gulf | Saudi Arabia
Abdullah to make key domestic and foreign policy statement
King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz will make a major domestic and foreign policy announcement on Saturday.
- By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent
- Published: 00:29 March 14, 2008
Riyadh: King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz will make a major domestic and foreign policy announcement on Saturday.
The announcement will be made at his opening speech of the Fourth Annual Session of the Shura Council. The Chairman of the Shura Council, Shaikh Saleh Bin Humeid, told Gulf News people of Saudi Arabia pin great hopes on the speech of the monarch as it would contain major declarations with regard to both the domestic and foreign policies of the kingdom.
"The Council highly regards the great trust put on it as well as the vast powers bestowed to make it more active and enable it to carry out missions in an exemplary and effective way, keeping pace with the kingdom's remarkable growth and development in all walks of life," he said.
Shaikh Saleh expressed happiness over the reforms being taken place in various fields in a phased and balanced way.
"The Shura Council is playing an active role in accelerating these reforms by giving its advices and opinions on major issues to realise the welfare of the people and fulfil their hopes and aspirations," he said. "The Council would be granted more powers to play its role more effectively," he hoped, while appreciating the great care and concern being given by King Abdullah and other leaders to enable it to carry out a role similar to that of parliaments in modern times, and that was in adhering to the principles of Islamic Sharia.
Mahmoud Tayyiba, deputy chairman of the Council, said each Saudi citizen sees the Council as the first window to air their views and proposals.
"It is the most suitable forum to discuss issues concerning Saudi citizens," he said. Tayyiba said the king's address to the Council would be, in a sense, an interaction with the citizens as far the domestic and foreign issues concerning them.
Ihsan Bin Jaafar Faqeeh, another member of the Shura Council, said the Council expects that the king would give more powers so that it can exercise complete consultative powers in monitoring as well as in airing its views on the annual budget estimates to come out with its own proposals and recommendations.
Global effects
Abdul Aziz Al Oteibi, a member of the Shura, said the king's speech would have international ramifications as he is now emerging as an important world leader influencing the political and economic life on the global arena.
The Shura Council is playing an active role in accelerating these reforms by giving its advice and opinions on major issues."
Shaikh Saleh Bin Humeid, Chairman of the Shura Council
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