In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
We praise before you God Almighty, by whose grace good deeds are completed, and by whose help and power efforts succeed and hopes are fulfilled. We send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers, who came from God with what guarantees for us the best of this world and the Hereafter.
To proceed:
Each of us knows—and continues to realize—the magnitude of the great calamity with which we were afflicted by the passing of the renewer of our glory and the founder of our state, our dear father, Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al‑Faisal—may God sanctify his soul, envelop him in His mercy, and make Paradise his abode. By God’s grace, he restored to us the glory of our forefathers and established our state, giving it a distinguished position among nations. He also enjoyed, as you know, a great standing in the world. What he left behind for this nation—its legacy and its honorable reputation in international forums—we regard as one of the pillars of our pride, spoken of by days and ages.
Our only consolation after this tragedy was what God bestowed upon us of patience and fortitude at the moment of calamity, so that the shock did not distract us from our duty to continue along the path he set for us. The wounds of our hearts were eased by your unity around us, your support, and your pledge of allegiance with sincere hearts and loyal hands, as well as by the people’s pledge to us to listen and obey according to the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Messenger. This reminds us of what the Companions of the Prophet—may God be pleased with them—did with the Rightly Guided Caliphs. This was the only consolation for us, for you, and for our people, and it was a renewed motivation that drove us to work day and night for the advancement of our country and the well‑being of our people.
Since assuming responsibility, our foremost concern has been to hold fast to the Book of God, to follow the guidance of His Messenger, and the path of the righteous predecessors, and then to follow the example of our great father in politics, administration, and all fields of reform—continuing what he built, completing what he began, and doing all that we can for the good of our nation and our people.
Islam has made governance a matter of consultation among Muslims. Thus, the first decision we made was to place our trust in you—our brothers, sons, and ministers—and to make you our advisors, cooperating with you in carrying the responsibilities of governance. For this purpose, we established this Council—the Council of Ministers—to be a source and reference for you and from you, based on the duties entrusted to each of you according to the regulations.
On this first occasion of inaugurating this esteemed Council, we wish to outline the path we intend to follow in the coming period, with God’s help and strength:
1. Religious Foundations
Our foremost concern is to hold fast to the rope of God and to adopt all means within our country that strengthen pure monotheism in the hearts of all citizens, so that worship is devoted to God alone. We will follow the guidance of the Qur’an in calling to God with wisdom and good counsel, especially in schools. We will ensure adherence to Islamic teachings—commanding what is right and forbidding what is wrong—because in that lies the good of this world and the next.
2. Foreign Policy
Our foreign policy follows the path of our great father. Our first priority is unifying the Arab word and supporting their interests within the Arab League and the Joint Defense Treaty. We instructed our delegation to the League’s first meeting after our accession to declare our firm commitment to supporting the Arabs and cooperating with them in every possible field to prevent aggression and achieve mutual benefit.
We will continue to call upon all Arab countries to unite their ranks and strengthen their capabilities to preserve their independence and repel aggression from any source.
We were deeply moved by the delegations of Arab nations who hastened to offer condolences and congratulations, sharing our grief and joy. We exchanged views with them on matters of Arab interest.
We were also honored by the visit of His Majesty King Hussein, who offered condolences and congratulations, and with whom we exchanged sentiments of brotherhood.
We likewise appreciate the friendly relations with Islamic nations, especially Pakistan, whose President, Mr. Ghulam Muhammad, visited us to offer condolences and strengthen ties.
We are committed to every effort that unites the word of Islam and Muslims across the world.
As for the malignant tumor planted in the body of the Arab world—the Zionist entity—it has committed the most heinous crimes known to history, killing and displacing nearly a million Arab Muslims in Palestine. Their repeated aggressions threaten not only neighboring Arab states but Arabs everywhere, and indeed threaten Islam and Muslims worldwide. We will work with Arab and Islamic nations to defend ourselves against this aggression, trusting in God’s support.
Our general foreign policy beyond the Arab world is to strengthen friendly relations with all nations that show goodwill toward us.
We regret the unresolved issue with the friendly British government, but we are working diligently to preserve our sovereignty and rights through peaceful negotiation, hoping for an amicable resolution.
3. Strengthening the Army
We have prioritized strengthening our army, the backbone of the state and the guardian of its independence. A significant portion of the budget will be allocated to expanding and training the army and acquiring necessary weapons.
4. Combating Poverty and Hardship
We have worked to combat hunger, poverty, and disease. Some regions suffered economically due to drought, so we relocated many nomads to cities and ensured their needs were met. God has since blessed us with rain, easing the crisis.
We have also taken measures to support the poor and hope that upcoming development projects will create widespread employment and prosperity.
5. Healthcare
We have focused on improving healthcare. The Ministry of Health has established hospitals and clinics and will continue expanding medical services across the Kingdom.
6. Education
We established the Ministry of Education to teach the people their religion first, then what benefits them in their worldly affairs. A significant portion of the budget will be allocated to spreading education nationwide.
7. Agriculture
We established the Ministry of Agriculture to develop farming across the Kingdom. We have fertile regions that need only organization and support to yield abundant produce, sufficient for our needs and potentially for export.
8. Transportation
We established the Ministry of Communications to improve transportation across our vast country. Plans have been completed for a railway from Riyadh through Al‑Washm, Al‑Qassim, Medina, Jeddah, and ending in Mecca. Work will begin as soon as possible.
We also coordinated with Jordan and Syria to restore the Hijaz Railway. A conference in Riyadh set the framework, and a technical team is studying the costs.
A gradual program will be implemented to open roads throughout the Kingdom.
9. Finance
The backbone of the state is finance. Without sufficient resources and organized spending, no development can succeed. The Ministry of Finance once bore all burdens—developmental, economic, agricultural, industrial, and even military—an impossible load.
We therefore restructured the Ministry to focus on revenue collection and spending according to an approved budget. We ordered the preparation of a national budget divided into:
- Government operations
- Development projects
- Reserves and emergencies
10. Local Governance
We ordered the establishment of administrative councils in every town, chaired by the local governor and judge, with officials and community leaders to address local needs.
We also ordered the creation of municipal councils to manage urban affairs.
A five‑year program for major development projects will be presented to you once prepared.
To ensure accountability, we established a General Auditing Bureau under our authority, headed by a Comptroller General.
We also established the Board of Grievances to investigate complaints and ensure justice.
A technical advisory division has been created to support the Council.
We implore God Almighty to grant us His help, grace, and success in achieving what benefits our worldly and spiritual affairs. He is All‑Hearing, Responsive, the best Protector and the best Supporter.
Peace and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.