To my people in Riyadh,
Peace and God’s mercy be upon you.
I praise before you God, there is no deity but Him, and I send prayers and blessings upon the noblest of His creation, Muhammad—may God’s peace and blessings be upon him and his family in abundance.
I remind you of the blessings God has bestowed upon all of us—well‑being and safety in our faith and our worldly lives, and the countless favors He has showered upon us, blessings beyond measure. We ask Him, and earnestly supplicate to Him, to help us fulfill our duty of gratitude and praise, and to guide us to this in private and in public, in word and in deed.
I begin by sharing with you the customary condolences for the father of all, the one mourned by Arabia and Islam, our late Imam—may God envelop him in His mercy and pleasure. I thank you for standing with me and with our family in this great loss, a loss shared by us and by all Muslims. We say only what the patient say: “Indeed, we belong to God, and to Him we shall return.”
Then I turn to all of you in this beloved land—across all your ranks—with deep gratitude, sincere appreciation, and heartfelt thanks for what I heard and witnessed yesterday. I had always been confident in the loyalty of your young and old, in the affection of those near and far, and in the devotion of residents and Bedouins alike. Yet what I saw from all of you touched the depths of my soul and overwhelmed my feelings. I find no reward worthy of your kindness except to turn to God, the Almighty, who knows what I conceal and what I reveal, and ask Him earnestly to help me serve you and your country, to grant me success in fulfilling my duty of care toward you, and to enable me to be a father to the young and a brother to the grown.
I hope that this cherished part of our beloved homeland attains its rightful share of progress and prosperity—for your religious and worldly benefit—ensuring for all a life of comfort, happiness, and well‑being, so that it may lead in every righteous endeavor and in steady advancement. I will, God willing, extend support and assistance to all who deserve it among you, so that we may reach this hoped‑for goal and long‑awaited aspiration.
In conclusion, I also thank all those who expressed their loyalty and attachment to us yesterday—those who joined your celebrations from neighboring cities in Najd and Al‑Ahsa, as well as your guests residing in Riyadh: Syrians, Lebanese, Egyptians, Hadramis, Yemenis, and the representatives of foreign companies working on vital projects in this country. To you and to them, I extend my gratitude, appreciation, and thanks.
May God guide us all to what brings goodness and blessing. He is capable of all things.
Peace and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.