Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia helds reception on the occasion of National Day in Canberra

Australian PM Tony Abbott praises the leadership capabilities and bilateral relations with the Kingdom

25/9/2014

(Translation of this article appears in Arabic section)

Canberra- M. E. TIMES Int'l: Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Australia Nabil bin Mohammed Al Saleh held an official reception in the Australian capital Canberra on the occasion of the Kingdom’s 84th National Day.

The Ceremony was attended by Bruce Scott Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chris Cannan Chief of Protocol in Australia, Philip Ruddock MP, a number of public and political Australian figures and Ambassadors of Arab, Islamic and foreign States, members of the Diplomatic Corps, members of the Embassy, the Cultural Attaché and Arab students in Australia, where they all have been welcomed by  Mr. Nabil bin Mohammed Al Saleh, Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Australia,  HE Chancellor Dr. Hassan Al-Ansari, the Vice Ambassador and HE Dr. Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Taleb, the cultural attaché.

The official ceremony started by exchanging greetings and best wishes to both countries by Ambassador Al-Saleh and Chief of Protocol Mr Cannan, followed by the Royal Saudi anthem and the Australian national anthem.

Message from the Honourable Tony Abbott, Prime Minister

“We are working together in a range of forums, including the United Nations and the G20, and share a commitment to global peace and security.”

“I am pleased to provide this message for everyone celebrating Saudi National Day and I convey my best wishes to his majesty King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, his government, and the people of Saudi Arabia. This occasion is the opportunity for the people of Saudi heritage to come together in celebration of the history, achievements, and the culture of the modern Saudi state. Australia values the strong constructive relationship between our two countries. Saudi Arabia is our second largest trading partner in the Middle East, with total two-way trade valued at 2.2 billion Australian dollars. The recently established Saudi Australia Business Council will also promote even greater growth, investment, and prosperity for both our countries. Over ten thousand Saudi students study here in Australia, representing the largest group of students from the Middle East. We are also working together in a range of forums, including the United Nations and the G20, and share a commitment to global peace and security. I am confident that the friendship between Australia and Saudi Arabia will continue to strengthen and flourish in the years to come. I send my best wishes to you all and I wish you an enjoyable Saudi National Day.”

Excerpts of the Speech by H.E Nabil Al Saleh, Saudi Ambassador in Australia and New Zealand

“As much as there might be misunderstanding between our two people, it is my hope that through people to people contact, you can learn from us as much as we can learn from you, with an ultimate goal of improving on our shared values, beliefs, and understanding.”

The greatness of our country is no doubt determined by the greatness of its people. We have demonstrated our capabilities and what our nation can achieve in a mere 84 years. It’s this quality, our values as a people, and vision that has enabled us to shape our nation.

There are several ill-conceived myths about Saudi Arabia, and misinformation being circulated about the Kingdom’s role on the international stage. In light of the ongoing challenges involving certain countries in the Middle East region and the global challenges to combat terrorism, it is worth recalling that Saudi Arabia was the founding member that called for the creation of a global counter-terrorism centre that would act as a hub for all international efforts to counter terrorism and its root causes. The Kingdom followed its commitment by making a substantial contribution to the United Nations and New York, which enabled the establishment of this centre. As a result, the United Nations Counter-terrorism Centre was established in 2011 and has acted since then as a cornerstone to the global counter-terrorism strategy.

Our Kingdom ruler has long sought to mediate between people of all faiths and sects. His efforts ultimately culminated in the decision to establish the King Abdullah Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue in Vienna in 2011. The Kingdom is one of the biggest donors to the international humanitarian relief efforts in Syria and other Middle East countries. Saudi Arabia is ranked among the top twenty nations in terms of the financial contribution it makes to the United Nations and its agencies.

We actively work on advancing the rights of women. The Kingdom has advanced the issues of women in its policy framework to increase their level of representation and participation in all aspects of political, economic and social life. We have thirty women appointed to the Shura council.

Our contribution on the international stage cannot continue and would not have come to realisation in the first place were it not for the unity of our people, our shared vision, and the guidance of our government. Our economy has grown at an average rate of six per cent over the last seven years and we continue to focus on investment programs across all sectors, particularly in the areas of education, health, and infrastructure.

It is very often that people who travel to the Kingdom return with a completely different perspective to the one they had prior to their visit. As much as there might be misunderstanding between our two people, it is my hope that through people to people contact, our students mingling with Australians and vice versa, that you can learn from us as much as we can learn from you, with an ultimate goal of improving on our shared values, beliefs, and understanding.