My brothers and my sons,
Our aims in both our domestic and foreign policy are the very principles brought forth by Islam. We have no objectives other than these. Upon them we proceed, and to them we call. We seek no substitute for them, for they guarantee for us the happiness of this world and the next. We do not permit in our land any principles other than those of Islam, and we call to them beyond our borders as well—as God has commanded, with wisdom and good counsel; there is no compulsion in religion; truth has become distinct from error. Whoever rejects falsehood and believes in God has grasped the firmest bond, which will never break. God is All‑Hearing, All‑Knowing.
God Almighty has spoken the truth.
My brothers and my sons,
God has made our present renaissance possible by enabling us to open the door of education in our land in a manner few others have matched. We have opened schools and made it easy for the sons of our people to attend institutions of learning free of charge. We have supported them at every stage of education, from the lowest to the highest. We have sent scholarship missions abroad to pursue knowledge at the expense of the government—this is by God’s grace and facilitation.
We have opened numerous hospitals and clinics, which people visit for treatment, surgery, and all forms of medical care—free of charge. Roads are being built in the cities and throughout the vast regions of the Kingdom to secure transportation between them. We have also given special attention to vocational education so that the sons of this country may serve themselves.
There are many projects underway to extract the wealth of the land and to employ labor in agriculture and industry. We must advance in these fields with effective steps so that our people may enjoy the blessings God has bestowed upon us.
I call upon you—my brothers and my sons, the ministers—to redouble your efforts in everything that brings happiness to the people, elevates their religious and intellectual level, and ensures their well‑being. You must work to develop whatever systems require development so that they align with the public interest and with the economic and administrative progress of the country. All our regulations shall be derived from the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Messenger.
This is our domestic policy, to which I call you and myself, and according to which we must act. Whoever purifies his intention before his Lord in his work will be guided to what he seeks.
As for our foreign policy and objectives, I summarize them as follows:
First:
We in this sacred land—the cradle of light and guidance—have been granted no honor greater or more exalted than this religion, which our Muslim forefathers spread throughout the world. Our foremost goal is therefore cooperation with all Muslims in a spirit of brotherhood, as God Almighty has said: “The believers are but brothers.”
Whether our Muslim brothers are near or far, what concerns them concerns us; what brings them joy brings us joy; what pains them pains us. We consider it our duty to cooperate with whomever we can on a sound Islamic basis, as our Lord has commanded.
Second:
As for the Arab sphere, we are Arabs, and this land is the source of Arabdom. From here the Arabs rose to spread principles that were the most sacred and exalted ever brought to the world. Therefore, every effort to unite the Arabs and gather their ranks is one we support, advocate, and work for.
We have acted—and will continue to act—within our Arab League as required to preserve the entity of the Arab nation and to unite its strength. We shall always be among the pillars that support and uphold the Arab League. We shall stand by any Arab who is attacked, near or far, in any region. We resist and condemn any attempt to divide the Arabs, just as we resist any aggression against any Arab, regardless of the aggressor.
Any call to unite the Arab states for the benefit of the Arabs will find us at the forefront—never hesitant nor reluctant—for wherever the Arabs may be, we are of them, and none who has gone astray can aid them more than one whom God has guided among them.
Third:
Our hands are open to all who befriend us, who neither aggress nor transgress against us. We work within the United Nations alongside all who seek peace and call for it.
It is regrettable that our political relations with the United Kingdom remain severed because of its aggression against our lands in al‑Buraimi and the disputed areas, under the pretext of supporting brothers whom we are more entitled to support. Negotiations mediated by the late, great Mr. Hammarskjöld continue even after his passing, though they still face recurring obstacles.
We continue to affirm to our brothers—those whom others claimed were in dispute with us—that we are more entitled to them, and they to us. What belonged to their fathers and grandfathers is theirs; what was under our authority and that of our fathers and grandfathers is ours. Our sons who reside in those regions will accept no homeland in place of their Saudi Arabian homeland. If the matter concludes according to the basis agreed upon, and we are allowed to meet our brothers and determine our mutual rights as they were before the British aggression, then nothing would please us more than the restoration of our relations with Britain to their former state.
As for our political relations with France, we severed them alongside Britain on the day of their aggression against our sister Egypt. Our relations with France remained severed in support of our heroic brothers in Algeria. Today, after the agreement between our Algerian brothers and France to cease fire, we hope matters will proceed in the right direction, ensuring for struggling Algeria the freedom and independence it seeks, so that our political relations with France may soon be restored, God willing.
As for the bleeding wound in our hearts—our beloved Palestine—our strength will not rest until our brothers in Palestine regain their full and undiminished rights. We hope all will recognize the true nature of the danger and understand that cooperation is the only path to restoring rights to their rightful owners.
This is a summary of the objectives of our domestic and foreign policy. I ask God to grant us and you success in what is good, and in righteous deeds that please our Lord and serve our people, the Muslims, and all Arabs.
Peace be upon you.