By Sami M. Alsadhan
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrates its 94th National Day on the 23rd of September every year, which is the day on which the founding King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud announced the unification of the country under the name Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, after a unification phase that lasted 32 years, which established for this construction and a young state emerged at that time, spreading peace and goodness, searching for knowledge and development, moving steadily towards a better tomorrow for its people and the whole world.
On this day, Saudis commemorate a momentous occasion that instills pride in their faith and patriotism, under the leadership of a government dedicated to development and empowerment, raising the nation to stand tall with pride and dignity among the peoples of the world. And they remember this occasion as they live today in a new reality full of huge development projects that stand as a witness to the progress and advancement of the Kingdom similar to developed countries.
This year, the citizens of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia evoke this memory under the slogan “We dream and achieve,” which has been extended from last year, and which embodies the ambitious spirit and great aspirations carried by the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and reflects the great commitment of the government and people to achieve the goals of this vision, which aims to transform Saudi Arabia into a global economic and cultural power.
Today we live in a distinguished present, and we look forward to an even more distinguished future. We are filled with confidence in the title of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, who, since assuming power since 2015, has been making an effort to advance the nation’s journey. His activities have varied in diverse fields both internally and externally, and were preceded by tasks and achievements at various stages during his assumption of many positions.
His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the young Crown Prince, has always been keen on preserving the Kingdom’s effective role regionally and internationally, taking care of the affairs of its citizens and striving hard to reach the ranks of developed countries at all levels. In 2016, His Royal Highness launched the “Kingdom’s Vision 2030,” which is a systematic plan, built on a clear and strong foundation, accompanied by a serious intention to carry out a series of huge projects and investments in all fields, to invest in the strengths that God has bestowed upon us. From a distinguished strategic position, and a pioneering investment force, it has been eight years since its launch has achieved many achievements. Among the achievements, several transformative capabilities have evolved, contributing to tangible results in the government’s work system, economy and society. It laid the foundations for success in the future, and we gained many experiences that strengthened our confidence in achieving our goals.
The Kingdom plays a major role in maintaining security and stability in the region and enjoys a regional, Arab, Islamic and international status while playing an active and influential role in international decision-making, and its continuous pursuit of international peace and security.
As one of the major oil producers in the world, Saudi Arabia recognizes its share of the responsibility in strengthening efforts to combat climate change, and the Kingdom is already working on designing innovative solutions to help combat the climate crisis, and in the era of the dawn of renewable energy sources. Saudi Green Initiatives will support the Kingdom to become a global leader in sustainability.
It must be noted that the relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Korea are a real partnership, and the leaders of the two countries pay special attention and are keen to strengthen this relationship and raise it to broader horizons in a way that serves the interests of the two countries by developing the paths of economic relations and increasing trade between the two countries and joint investments.
The historic visit of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to the Republic of Korea in November 2022 contributed to strengthening the historical relations between the two countries, which resulted in the signing of more than 26 agreements worth $30 billion in economic, developmental, cultural investment and other areas. I must point out here that the Republic of Korea is a strategic partner of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 under the Memorandum of Cooperation “Saudi-Korean Vision 2030,” which was signed in October 2017. This is a clear indication that the Kingdom considers Korea to be an important economic partner for the realization of its Vision 2030 and an active participation in accompanying programs and cities such as Neom City, The Line, Oxagon and others.
The year 2024 also witnessed many positive transformations in the course of friendly relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Korea. It was a distinguished year full of achievements, visits and agreements between the two countries, which rapidly pushed the wheel of distinguished relations between them. There is no doubt that the visit of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Korea, President Yoon Suk Yeol, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the period from Oct. 21 to 24, 2023, witnessed great success that contributed to strengthening the historical relations between the two countries. During this visit, the Strategic Partnership Council was established between the two countries, in addition to many other visits by ministers and others from both sides, some of which were for implementation and work to reflect what the leadership in the two countries had reached on the ground.
On the cultural level, the two countries seek to enhance cultural exchange by concluding memoranda of understanding between cultural and intellectual centers and institutions in the two countries and enhancing channels of cooperation through bilateral visits to exchange expertise.
Sami M. Alsadhan is the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Korea.
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