Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you. Mr. Fares, thank you as well
for the kind introduction.
I appreciate being invited here this evening
by the US-Arab Economic Forum. Economic
cooperation and business partnerships play a
critical role in US relations with the Arab
world. Gatherings like this are not merely
for intellectual exchange; they are important
opportunities to build business and personal
relationships that bring us closer together as
people and as nations.
I believe the last Saudi official who spoke
before this forum was our Foreign Minister,
Prince Saud Al-Faisal, in 2003. He spoke
about the state of Saudi-US relations in the
post-9/11 era. Although it was only three
years ago, it was such a different world back
then. From the US perspective, Saudi
Arabia was not very well understood.
Lingering doubts from September 11 led some to
question whether we were friend of foe.
And the Kingdom was also emerging from a period
of introspection and self assessment. Much
has changed since then.
Though the Saudi-US relationship was severely
tested during this time, our alliance has
emerged stronger than ever before in our 60-year
history.
Ladies and Gentlemen: Today, Saudi Arabia is
not simply an ally. We are a partner, and
a major force for peace and stability.
We are working towards peace and stability at
home, in our region, and around the world.
And tonight, I would like to share with you some
of our current efforts. There are many
challenges facing the global community –
economic growth, energy security, the war on
terrorism, and Middle East peace, to name a few.
And in each area, the Kingdom plays an important
role.
King Abdullah has affirmed that Saudi Arabia
will continue to rise to the challenges and
responsibilities of our leadership position.
This is because of our place as the home of the
Islamic faith. Because of our strategic
geopolitical location. Because of our
energy reserves. And because we are a
full, contributing member of the global
community.
Indeed, Saudi Arabia has long been an active
and effective partner for regional and global
stability – from our stand against communism
throughout the Cold War – to our record of
delivering every single barrel of oil to which
we were committed – to our help in finding
peaceful solutions in war torn areas like
Lebanon – even to our successful efforts to
build up the Gulf Cooperation Council over the
years. It is part of our heritage and our
future to continue in this tradition.
Ladies and Gentlemen: We recognize that to
contribute fully to the world community, we must
also continue to achieve growth, stability, and
harmony at home. Under the leadership of
King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia has pursued an
ambitious agenda of economic, political, and
social reform.
One of the cornerstones of our modernization
efforts is economic development, which is
providing the Saudi people with increasing
opportunity and improved quality of life.
In truth, the Kingdom actually has a long
history of business and commerce. Our
ancestors plied the ancient trading routes of
the Arabian Peninsula. The Prophet Muhammad –
peace be upon him – was a trader who worked
the caravan route between Damascus and Makkah,
and in the employ of a businesswoman no less:
the blessed Khadija bint Khuwelid.
But during the last two decades, we have
taken many steps to modernize our system.
The Kingdom has been liberalizing its trade
policies, enacting new regulatory laws,
increasing transparency, and opening up our
economy to investment. We have also
enacted a new law allowing foreign businessmen
and women to obtain visas without an invitation.
The Kingdom is open for business and is
fostering an environment friendly to
international trade and investment. As a
result, Saudi Arabia now proudly stands as a
member of the World Trade Organization.
The Saudi economy is currently booming.
And not just in the energy sector, but in many
diversified industries. The World Bank
even rates Saudi Arabia’s business environment
as the best in the Middle East. In fact,
there will be more than $700 billion in
investment opportunities that will be generated
in the Kingdom over the next 20 years.
In addition to the oil and petrochemical
sectors, investment opportunities will come in
the shape of growing industries, such as
information technology, financial services, and
tourism. We are also creating centers of
commerce and business, like the King Abdullah
Economic City. This $26 billion
mega-project will be a next generation center of
finance, healthcare, and technological
development. This city is just one of four
new economic centers that are being created in
the Kingdom. And represents just one of
many areas of economic development.
While economic reform is a key driver in our
society, we are, as I mentioned, also pursuing
an agenda of social and political reform. We are
providing our citizens with the training to
succeed in the global economy. We have
undertaken a multi-year modernization program of
our education system, including teacher training
and new textbooks and curricula. Through a
scholarship program, we are sending our students
to be educated around the globe, where they are
receiving a world-class education, making
friends, and building new bridges of
understanding.
Political reforms are also being implemented
to increase citizen participation, such as last
year’s elections for municipal councils.
More elections are planned for the future in
order to give our people a more direct say in
the decisions that affect them.
Saudi Arabia’s goal is also to promote
peace and stability in our region. The
Roman poet Horace once wrote: “It is your
concern when your neighbor’s wall is on
fire.” Right now, our neighbors’
walls are ablaze. Iraq, Afghanistan, and
Palestine all require immediate attention.
In addition, the situation with Iran calls for
international engagement and diplomacy. In
each of these circumstances, the Kingdom is
doing what it can to bring parties together,
open up dialogues, and offer solutions for peace
and progress.
Many of the world’s problems also require
humanitarian assistance, such as for natural
disasters, disease and poverty. In those
areas Saudi Arabia is a leader. Many
people don’t know that the Kingdom contributes
more per capita in foreign aid than any other
country in the world. We have also
provided hundreds of millions of dollars to
victims of the tsunami in the Indian Ocean
region, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the
earthquakes in Pakistan and, most recently, in
Indonesia.
But while we, as a single nation, can provide
aid and support peace and stability, this is not
something we can accomplish alone. We must
work with other members of the global community,
particularly the United States, to solve these
problems in our region. The US cannot deal
with them without us. And we cannot deal
with them without the United States. And I
am confident that, together, we will be able to
find solutions to the challenges that confront
us.
Together, we can forge unity in Iraq.
Together, we can find a peaceful two-state
solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Together, we will continue to support stability
and peace in Afghanistan. And together, we
can ensure there is an open dialogue between the
world and Iran in order to avoid potential
conflict. Because each cause is critical.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Throughout human history, we, as a community
of nations, have always found the strength and
resolve to overcome even the greatest
challenges. Because it is the hope of
success that makes us feel our humanity.
So tonight, I lay down the following challenges
for all of us.
First, to Saudi Arabia, I challenge ourselves
to meet the needs of our youth and ensure that
they have the education, the tools and the means
to help change the world, and become a force for
good and tolerance.
I challenge the Palestinian people to give up
the armed struggle and follow the spirit of
Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King by
engaging in civil disobedience instead of
violence, even in the face of Israeli guns.
Violence is the weapon of the weak; non-violence
is the weapon of the strong.
I challenge the Israeli people to give up
their illegal, immoral and colonial occupation
of Palestine.
I challenge the United States to use the power
and abilities with which God has blessed this
great nation to bring about an end to the
Palestinian/Israeli conflict through the
implementation of the President’s Roadmap.
And I challenge the Arab-Americans in this
audience tonight to take a more active part in
resolving the conflicts that exist in the world
today. We must compel the governments of
the world to take the required actions to end
the injustices that fuel tensions, distrust,
hatred and violence.
And so as you leave this conference, I
implore each of you to continue in your own
right—as ambassadors from the Arab world.
Whether you are from Palestine, Syria, Lebanon,
Saudi Arabia, or any other part of the Arab
world, you should be proud of your Arab heritage
and legacy—which truly does extend here to the
United States. You should be proud of the
contributions Arabs have made to the advancement
of humanity over the centuries, and to the
greatness of American culture and life. And you
should be proud of yourselves, for you are the
only ones who can bridge the gap between the two
great societies. It is not always easy, but it
will always be rewarding. And it can’t
be done without you.
Ladies and Gentlemen: Of all the nations in
the world, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. are two of
the most important when it comes to affecting
positive change to the world’s most difficult
issues. Indeed, we have come far and done
a lot as partners. For our own good and
for the good of the world, it is incumbent on
our nations to continue to face these challenges
together.
As Secretary of State Rice said at the most
recent meeting of the Saudi-US Strategic
Dialogue, the partnership between the Kingdom
and the US is, quote: “A relationship that is
critically important not just to the peace and
security of the region, but to the peace and
security of the world.” This is true.
This is also where all of you enter into the
equation. Relations between the Arab world
and America require constant attention.
The US-Arab Economic Forum can help strengthen
the bonds we share through trade and economic
development – not only to the region, but to
American businesses as well.
By strengthening the relations we have, you
are creating stability. By building
business together, you are producing ties that
bind. By opening yourselves up for future
friendships, you are fostering a new generation
of partnership. We know who our friends
are, who we can count on, and who we can trust.
And this is the greatest force for peace and
stability of all.
Thank you again for this opportunity, and may
peace be upon you.
