Government and the people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrate on this day— the 23rd of September 2022, its National Day, which marks the 92nd anniversary of the unification and founding of the Kingdom in 1932 by King Abdulaziz Al Saud.
In view of long –standing bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Ghana which dates back to 1960, this occasion is a memorable day celebrated by Embassies of the Kingdom worldwide. This year’s Saudi national Day in Ghana is one celebrated in a grand style. The occasion, which took place at the Kempinski Gold Coast, saw the hosting of high profile Government officials, members of the Diplomatic corps and their spouses, varied sections of the Ghanaian community, by His Excellency Ambassador Meshal Alrogi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Ghana, and at the Honour of the Honorable Minister as the special guest.
Ambassador Meshal Alrogi and Honorable Minister……. used the occasion to tout and rekindle the existing relations between both countries which saw cooperation in various sectors of the Ghanaian economy.
According to the Saudi Ambassador, the Saudi Fund for development has supported the execution of many projects through grant arrangement with the Government of Ghana. notable among such projects is the Rehabilitation of the Regional Hospital of Bolgatanga expected to be completed by early 2023. This rehabilitation would equip the hospital with world class equipment and facilities to ensure first class health delivery in the region and the Country at large.
another area highlighted by Ambassador Meshal Alrogi is trade and investment between the two friendly countries. Trade volumes remain low notwithstanding long standing relations between the two friendly countries. Saudi Arabia is an outstanding member of the G20 group and the biggest economy in the Gulf region, Ghanaian investors were encouraged to link up with Saudi investors to create more investments in the private sector.
Educational Scholarship packages are one of the clandestine marks of Saudi-Ghana relations. Saudi Public universities have produced quite an appreciable number of graduates from Ghana, not only in Arabic and religious studies, but in fields such as engineering, education, health related courses such as nursing and laboratory technology. Saudi Scholarship package to Ghana has, in recent times been increased to 159 yearly for eligible applicants who successfully apply to Saudi Universities through their official admission websites.
NATIONAL DAY SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY AMBASSADOR MESHAL ALROGI
ASSALAAMU ALAIKUM WARAHMATULLAH WA BARAKATHU
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
(In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful)
It is a great pleasure and honor, on the occasion of the celebration of the National Day of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to convey the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz AlSaud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense to His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo , President of the Republic of Ghana and His Excellency Vice President Alhaj Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and to the friendly people of Ghana wishing the country and its citizens more progress and prosperity.
The Government and the people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrate on this day— the 23rd of September 2022, its National Day, which marks the 92nd anniversary of the unification and founding of the Kingdom in 1932 by King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Faisal Al Saud. The Kingdom, since its formation continue to make progress on all fronts on the same approach that the great King and his righteous sons walked after him, until it reached the remarkable height in our present prosperous era, the Era of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. This era witnesses the launch of the Vision 2030 by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, which thrives on 3 axes: a vibrant society, a prosperous economy, and an ambitious homeland that cares for the wellbeing of its citizens and contributes towards regional and international welfare.
The Vision 2030 has since led to the establishment of major projects such as the Neom “Smart Village” project, which is being funded by the Saudi Pubic Investment Fund and is accepting both local and International Investors.
The Vision Contributes to global clean energy. To fulfil this, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman announced the “Green Saudi Initiative and the “Green Middle East Initiative, which charts the Kingdom’s direction and coordinates regional efforts in protecting the land and nature.
During this celebration, each Saudi Citizen demonstrate their pride in the nation, celebrate their cultural heritage and look toward the future for greater achievements with the help of the Almighty Allah and rekindle their commitment to the State and the Government.
Here in Ghana, this great occasion that brings us together annually was suspended for two years, due to restrictions imposed by the covid-19 pandemic, thanks to the Almighty Allah for making this year’s celebration possible.
This occasion gives us an opportunity to rekindle the bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the friendly Republic of Ghana, a relationship that has brought in its wake diverse cooperation in various sectors of our beloved countries.
In view of the fact that the Republic of Ghana occupies an outstanding place in the heart of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, both countries have seen high bilateral state visits at the vice presidential and Ministerial levels, these visits have further anchored the bilateral relations of both countries on solid grounds.
Also, leading developmental and humanitarian agencies in the Kingdom have never relented on their efforts to lend support to the developmental agenda of Ghana. The Saudi Fund for Development has collaborated with the Government of Ghana since its establishment in the 1975. This collaboration has since led to signing of agreements to support socio-economic and infrastructural development of the friendly Republic of Ghana in areas such as health, road, education and the energy sector.
The generosity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, anchored on humanitarian principles and devoid of the tendencies of race, religion and nationality, has led to the establishment of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre in 2015.
The Center has since undertaken humanitarian projects amounting to billions of dollars. The friendly Republic of Ghana has not been left out of the Center’s priority destinations of donations and aid. It has since made several humanitarian gestures to Ghana in an attempt to help boost critical sectors such as health as well as support needed families in Ghana.
In the field of education, the kingdom is one of the world’s leading scholarship destination for students. It has recently increased the scholarship package for eligible Ghanaian applicants to 159 annually. This offers opportunity for successful applicants to study in various specializations spread across all levels of academic ladder from bachelors to masters and PhD.
On the issue of migration, the two countries are working through appropriate diplomatic channels to establish a suitable framework through which labor exchanges would be carried for the benefit of citizens of both countries.
Finally, I wish the friendly Republic of Ghana and its people more success, prosperity, and progress under the leadership of His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.
LONG LIVE GHANA, LONG LIVE SAUDI ARABIA –GHANA RELATIONS. WASSALAAMU ALAIKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATHU.
marhaba fm
