Majlis Ash-Shura, 1371 A.H.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

From Abdul-Aziz bin Abdul-Rahman Al-Faisal

To His Highness son Faisal, may Allah maintain him.

Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you,

Majlis Ash-Shura submitted to us its report of covering its achievements during 1370 A.H. We studied good efforts and pleasant exertions by the Majlis that were mentioned in the report, as well as its concern to fulfill its task according to public benefit.

We appreciate efforts and faithfulness of the Majlis, and thank it for the efforts still exerted honestly and sincerely. Thus we command to extend the session of the aforementioned Majlis for one complete year since the beginning of next Moharram in 1371 A.H.

Kindly inform the Majlis. We ask Allah for success for everybody.

Thereafter, member of the Majlis, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Ghazzawy, delivered the following statement on behalf of the Majlis.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

Your Highness,

At the beginning of this new session of the Majlis, we had better start our statement before your Highness by praising Allah, glorified and exalted be He, for the vast and incalculable blessings and graces He bestowed upon this nation under the Majesty of our glorified king. We had better thank His Majesty the king represented in your Highness so faithfully and sincerely for the valuable trust and royal concern shown in his decree to support our Majlis this year. This support reflects his satisfaction for the humble efforts of the Majlis during the last session for the sake of public benefit. It reflects as well his commended appreciation of tasks undertaken by the Majlis during last year within its authorities.  

Being one of the most reasons for pride and honor, the Majlis knows that the end aim of His Majesty is to increase the performance of the Majlis, and urge it to make every possible valid sacrifice for the sake of the duty appointed by the governor, may Allah support and sustain him, and to have it executing its mission perfectly.

Your Highness,

No doubt that the whole nation, from the farthest point of the gulf in the east, to the red sea in the west, to the frontiers of Iraqi desert, to the eastern Jordan in the north, and the depressions in Yemen in the south, has achieved successful great steps towards desired appropriate life and wished rise. It has been backed and boosted by its wise government that encouraged it to work hard and consistently to produce goodness in all life fields and public facilities whether social, economical, cultural or architectural.

Shortly people all round the semi-peninsula and in all Islamic countries whether near or remote received with great comfort and appreciation the honorable commands and great financial donations by the glorified Majesty of our king to mend and expand the Holy Mosque in Medina so that it includes the biggest number of people coming from the whole world during hajj and to restore the Holy Mosque in Mecca and enhance it to make prayers there better. History too would register this eternal honor of the Majesty of the king, whom register is replete with honors.

These honors would be registered, highlighted and mentioned by successors till the doomsday.

Your Highness,

Talking about that, it is worth mentioning the successful efforts and established efforts by the government of His Majesty during last year to host and accommodate pilgrimages so that they perform rituals at ease.

New sub-roads were opened in Mena, Muzdalefah and Arafat. Arafat was wonderfully designed and lighted. The new road in Al-Maʻabada in Mecca was opened and asphalted so that cars and pedestrians easily pass it. Jeddah road was also expanded, which is very important.

New water pipes of (Al-ʻAin Al-Jadidah) were fitted to Mecca from Al-Jadidah. It is hoped that water so shortly reach houses built in tops and foots of mountains, and to those houses in Mecca. Alain Al-Jadidah is not everything. The Majesty of the king, may Allah maintain him, commanded that fresh water is brought to Yanbu to give its people and pilgrimages passing there in their way to holy lands from the north of the kingdom by land and sea a sense of ease. Specialized engineers were pledged by studying the nature of land there and to submit reports about this useful project to be achieved so shortly. Glorified crown prince issued a royal command to provide Riyadh by fresh water in response to their mass need for it.

Mecca witnesses as well active fitting of electricity. It is hoped to finish them and start to lighten public streets in the middle of this year, and to provide means of lighting houses and shops in all quarters before finishing.

We should not forget to praise the transportation movement during last hajj, which was satisfactory to pilgrimages and people for the various and multi-sized new and second hand cars it provided.

In the fields of scientific, industrial, medical, military rise, we should not forget to mention with more appreciation, pride and hope, our various delegations that aim to learn from miscellaneous sources in Egypt, Europe and the new World. These delegations are progressively advancing. Percentage of success of these delegations is increasing year by year, which gives good tidings of more prosperous future for the nation and country. Moreover, the Majesty of high commander of the army, and the deputy of high commander crown prince, and the Excellency of Minister of Defense are concerned with strengthening the glorious Saudi army, which is considered, by the help of Allah, the stake of the country and its invulnerable defender. They are taking chances to provide it with strong mechanical units, late arms, military supplies, munitions and facilities and all that might bring it to the level of recent world armies.

Not to mention the reach and virtual opening of railroad from Dammam to Riyadh, this results in facilitating transportation, provision of food, and simplifying the travel of pilgrimages coming from that area to the holy lands. This railroad is considered a keystone to establish a grand railroad network that links the east of the kingdom with its west, and its north with its south. This would be of great benefits and comprehensive goodness.

Furthermore, new secondary and elementary schools were opened in cities and villages in all areas of the kingdom to fight illiteracy, and spread correct culture among its people. The most important among them is the establishment of Saudi Islamic scientific institute, and the valuable library in Riyadh under auspices of glorified Crown Prince, which are wished to effectively contribute in raising the level of education in the kingdom. Besides all that, we witness recently a young agricultural rise, investing every possible land, supporting typical farms, and participation in international conferences for food and agriculture which would result in improving and developing agriculture means, and widening it in the country.

Concerning governmental bodies, the issuance of royal decree of establishing ministries of Interior and Health under the Excellency of your son, Prince Abdulla Al-Faisal was met by comfort as it would lead to put matters in the right path and complete them. His Excellency is known for persistency and faithfulness to the public benefit, which is sufficient to advance us forward, under the direction of your Highness and your honorable paternal concern. We still remember his intention to open Al-Kaʻaki hospital in Jaroul, sending an envoy abroad to bring specialist doctors in various branches of medicine and pharmacy, bringing latest machines, medical equipment, medicines and formulas to provide governmental hospitals in the capital and in other cities. Not to mention other projects which his Excellency intends to execute to uplift health conditions in the country, and make it in line with the need of the country and its circumstances, especially in receiving pilgrimages during hajj which takes place in Summer, which entails wide total preparations

We should not forget to mention with appreciation the continuing exertions of the government like establishing warm friendship relations with brotherly Arabian and Islamic countries, the support it seeks to get to achieve its national wishes, the wise approaches it follows in the field of general international policy by virtue of Allah, and due to the guides of the Majesty of our glorified king.

This is brief presentation of the most important projects and directives of the last year. What should be undertaken without delay by bodies in charge this year is so wide. It is better here to mention the most important points that the Majlis directs these bodies to and urges to execute.

Your Highness,

Governorate and municipalities are foundations that bear great responsibilities. These responsibilities entail organizing cities and expanding and asphalting its streets, planting trees and building gardens and squares even in suburbs, collecting taxes and ensuring its expenditures within the range of its turnover, submitting balances and lists of reforms to be done, suggesting correct means that ensure prudently fulfilling most duties, quick action to use correct technical methods adopted by specialists to divert car passage to another one other than Al-Mashaʻar while pilgrimages pacing to avoid confusing them, before next hajj season.

The Majlis thinks that all relevant departments take necessary actions to readily receive next Hajj season, and to escape every noticeable shortage seen in previous hajj season in all fields and public facilities to comply with the desire and frequent commands of the government of His Majesty the king, and its remarkable concern in affairs of both visitors and people. The Majlis urges all departments to exert every possible effort, each within its power and in accordance with valid regulations, especially to promote construction to solve the problem of residency in accordance with previous resolutions by the Majlis met that time with Honorable certification. The Majlis requests that these departments submit construction subjects to the Majlis in accordance with law and in due time, so that no delay occur to impede desired reform. Departments are totally free to submit their suggestions and insights to modify any law that needs to be modified in the light of experiences, or to add any new articles to it. Yet necessitating reasons for this modification or additions should be presented, for the Majlis to tackle its subjects in line with duty and public benefit.

Your Highness,

It is important for the Majlis to indicate the religious and prestigious holy position of Medina, second holy mosque, for all Islamic countries. Gaining the directives of glorified Majesty of the king, the Majlis thinks it is necessary to mention the need to conduct electricity there, activate construction and agriculture, and provide more accommodations to its visitors. The Majlis really wishes that official and branch departments in the capital, as well as in Medina itself double their concern in these affairs in accordance with policy of rise and promotion of our Sunni government towards this holy city and its visitors. The Majlis would be interested in considering general matters and handle them more widely in its regular speech to be submitted to your Honor in response to the honorable royal decree sustaining the Majlis for current session if consistent with public benefit.

We ask Allah to lead everybody to goodness and righteousness.

Thereafter, His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz improvised the following speech.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

We ask Allah, glorified and exalted be He, to lead us all to goodness. First of all, I would like to mention the great commendation and gratefulness of the Majesty of the king for the deeds of the Majlis in its previous session. This is of course due to the encouraging by the Majesty of the king to the Majlis and nation and urging them to pursue achieving public benefit, and follow directions of glorified Majesty of the king in reform and attaining all goodness. No doubt that the spokesman of the Majlis related enough actions by the government last year that no need for me to mention them. This of course entails thanks for the Majlis and the spokesman. It is wished that everybody, whether the Majlis or the government considers public benefit in their actions and to execute actions rather than just to intend. Of course it is impossible to achieve all that one wishes one time.  Yet this does not mean that we only wish, promise, or seek titles from authorized body for the projects, suggestions, views, or advices. The most important is to execute not just to say.

I am so pleased to perceive energetic spirit in the speech of this session of the Majlis, which expresses the sense of sponsorship and motivating wills required from the Majlis to achieve public benefit. I wish this is the goal of the Majlis, and that it is at the good opinion of the glorified Majesty of the king, nation and government. The most important as I said is action, not just saying. It is not enough for the Majlis to thank the government, yet to direct and enlighten it to execute required tasks. This is the biggest proof of collaboration to perform the duty laid upon the Majlis by the nation, and by the Majesty of the king. At the same time, we should seek every possible in what we see and consider on one hand. On the other hand, we should handle the most important before the important, and to have pubic benefit as our goal, not just passion or intention. This is what I expect.

There are some issues that were not mentioned, yet decisions to establish them were taken, like:

1-           Establishing the factory of small munitions in Al-Kharj. The foundation stone of it was laid and it would be built soon, by the will of Allah.

2-           Commitment of the government to build technical buildings for quarantine in Jeddah. Bids for it were submitted. It would be started soon.

There are still matters that are still being considered. I don’t like to mention them before measures regarding them are taken.

Anyway, the government of His Majesty is stepping forward, depending on Allah, and on the directives of His Majesty, the confidence of people and loyalty of officials in charge to achieve required actions.

That’s all I could tell now. We still have a lot to come. Our responsibility is great. All we ask Allah for is to provide us with good fortune and conscious awareness, to faithfully perform duties, to make us always loyal, believers, working for every welfare, by the will of Allah.

Now, in the name of Allah, and on behalf of the Majesty of our glorified king, we inaugurate this term for the year 1371, wishing that it would be a good and blessed year for the country, nation, Arabs and Muslims.