Saudi Arabia in its national day: continuity and challenges
Saudi Arabia, Politics, 9/27/2003

The Saudi Arabians had just celebrated their 73rd national day anniversary, an occasion celebrating the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the rule of the late King Abdul Aziz al-Saud, as a confirmation to continuity which has been perpetuated under the rules of his sons, Kings Saud, Faisal and Khaled until the current King Fahd.

This national occasion comes at a time when Saudi Arabia faces internal and external challenges signifying a renewed test for its ability to withstand and deal with them and also to succeed in eliminating these challenges, the same way it had succeeded since her first days in the march of unification.

Besides defining the characteristics of the united new state, the kingdom, under the rule of the late King Abdul Aziz was among the first countries which signed the UN Commission charter in 1945. It contributed to the foundation of the Arab League. King Abdul Aziz dedicated all his efforts to establish the bases of modern upsurge through rebuilding and inhabiting the Badia, founding the Shoura council, building schools and al-Haj routes in addition to investing the oil in the service of the Saudi society and its Arabic and Islamic surrounding.

Numerous winds have been blowing the region since the first days of the foundation of the kingdom. Naturally, Saudi Arabia was among sides which affected and got influenced by these winds, more than other sides and this was due to the political, economic and religious way it enjoys.

Among issues which hit the region is the Arab- Israeli conflict and the question of Palestine. The Saudis try to stand by the Palestinians as much as they can, despite foreign pressure and criticism.

However, the Lebanese still remember the Taif accord which put an end to their civil war, signed in the Saudi city of Taif on October 1989, under the direct sponsorship of the Saudi leadership represented by King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah in an expression of the Saudi care to save the blood of the Lebanese people.

However the consequences of September 11 attacks against New York and Washington and then the American occupation of Iraqi have created altogether numerous challenges before the Saudis in their internal conditions and external relations. In the two cases, the kingdom is making tremendous efforts for eliminating obstacles resulting from the two incidents. The Saudi leadership has chosen to deal firmly with challenges like "terrorism" in addition to simultaneously opening up an internal dialogue among the Saudis themselves for reform and development.

In the relation with the US, the kingdom showed clear care to eliminate the unrest which hit Saudi- American relations, through dialogue and contacts between the leaderships and people of the two countries not to violate national, Arab and Islamic principles Saudi Arabia committed to since the first days of its foundation.

Pursuing the road of progress and reform does not mean that the process started recently, but it had taken new dimension, relating to arranging the religious foundations so as to attain a multi-faceted function to withstand the phenomenon of "terrorism" and create new social and economic forces, all but not to be isolated from the surrounding and regional and international changes in politics and the economy. This is, however, through a national dialogue promoted by the Crown Prince Abdullah with the aim of benefiting from the people's potentials emerging inside society.

Economically: The Saudis have realized that their economy is an oil one. The wealth which availed the Saudis the prosperity of building up and construction in the past. However, the Saudis have also realized that oil is not a permanent commodity and therefore gigantic efforts are being made to diversify income resources with a special interest given from King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah to privatize the public sector and encourage of the Saudi private sector to grow and attract investments in the sectors of oil and gas and enhancing foreign investments in other sectors including tourism as well as giving interest at highest levels to withstand the problem of unemployment in a society where the majority are young, within plans to "Saudize" jobs (replace foreign workers by Saudis).

So far, it is obvious that the Saudis had realized the sensitivity of the moment their country and the region are passing. They are determined to deal with them seriously and therefore they have chosen the way of internal dialogue which excludes noone in the fields of politics, academics, religion, law and the economy. They also know that the way is long and needs more patient and persistence of effort.

Previous Stories:
  Saudi reformer joins Saad al-Faqih movement in London   (9/26/2003)
  Attacking al-Qahtani in Riyadh was made in collaboration with FBI   (9/26/2003)
  Two incidents violate the Saudi national day; Three Islamists killed, hostages in Jeizan   (9/24/2003)
  Political reforms are under study in Saudi Arabia   (7/21/2003)
  Saudi crown prince: constitutional reforms are a matter of time   (2/1/2003)
  Riyadh: Crown Prince Abdullah announces reforms to encourage foreign investment   (10/22/1999)

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