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RIYADH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman delivered the opening speech on behalf of King Salman at the annual state opening address for the fourth year of the Eighth Session of the Shoah Council on Wednesday.

The Crown Prince was received at the headquarters of the Shoura Council by the Governor of Riyadh, Prince Faisal bin Bandar; Deputy Riyadh Governor Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz; and Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Asheikh, Speaker of the Shora Council of Saudi Arabia.

The annual meeting began with the recitation of the Qur’an, after which Al-Asheikh took to the stage to deliver the opening speech before the speech of the Crown Prince.

Al-Asheikh said the Shora Council held 48 sessions and issued 379 resolutions in the third year of the council’s eight sessions.

In his inaugural speech, the Crown Prince underlined that the Kingdom has made tremendous achievements in various fields.

He said: “Your country continues with its growth revival in line with Vision 2030 and its ambitious plans, which will contribute to securing the Kingdom’s advanced position globally, (while) achieving further growth, prosperity and quality of life for its citizens.”

Discussing Hajj and Umrah, the Crown Prince said the Kingdom welcomed 1.8 million pilgrims for Hajj and over 10 million pilgrims for Umrah this year.

In 2023, Saudi Arabia hosted several important summits that brought together more than 100 countries and he highlighted how the Kingdom worked to strengthen global cooperation and friendship with countries around the world.

The crown prince spoke of the kingdom’s efforts in hosting events such as the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh in November, which welcomed heads of state and government from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States.

He described the Kingdom’s efforts in encouraging leaders to take a collective stand to put pressure on the international community to take a serious and firm stand to stop the Israeli occupation.

The Crown Prince emphasized that the Kingdom’s approach to foreign affairs is based on respect for the national sovereignty of all countries; non-interference in their internal affairs; Permanent commitment to the principles of international legitimacy and its resolutions; Adhering to the principles of good neighborliness and resolving disputes by peaceful means; Adopting plans to promote security and stability in the region and globally.

He said the Kingdom’s selection as the host of Expo 2030 confirms its global standing and confidence as the best interface for hosting key international forums.

The Crown Prince highlighted the sector’s growth of 64 percent in the first quarter of 2023, a historic milestone in the Kingdom’s tourism industry.

Saudi Arabia has become the fastest-growing economy among the G20 countries by 2022, with a GDP growth rate of 8.7 percent, as well as non-oil GDP growth of about 4.8 percent, making it one of the top 20 countries. Most competitive countries in the world.

The Crown Prince said the Kingdom will continue to work towards economic transformation in line with the goals of Vision 2030, adding that positive results already achieved show promise for greater success in future economic reforms to strengthen the Kingdom’s fiscal position.

Concluding the Shora Council session, the Crown Prince thanked his brothers and sisters in the Council for their contributions in service to their motherland.

The Shora Council’s annual state speech serves as a road map of the kingdom’s ambitions and touches on a variety of topics and issues, including domestic, foreign and economic matters.