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King Salman’s reign defined by economic restructuring, iron fist vs. terrorists

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King Salman’s reign defined by economic restructuring, iron fist vs. terrorists
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ARAB NEWS

Published — Wednesday 13 January 2016

Last update 14 January 2016 3:08 am

RIYADH: The vision of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for the nation has seen considerable changes to domestic and foreign policy during his first year in power, including economic restructuring to deal with falling oil prices and efforts to tackle terrorism and bring peace to the volatile Middle East.

These were the sentiments expressed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Grand Mufti Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh on Wednesday, according to SPA.
The crown prince said that King Salman’s statesmanship has seen the Kingdom become a destination for global political and business leaders. This has been because his approach continues to follow the precepts of the Qur’an, he said.

The king has focused on fighting extremism and terrorism to ensure the safety of the Kingdom’s citizens and those in neighboring countries. This includes efforts to counter the attempts by some countries to destabilize the region for their own ends, he said.

The crown prince said that on the domestic front, the king has taken decisive action, which includes restructuring state agencies, particularly those of the Council of Ministers.

He has removed many non-performing councils and bodies, and formed the Council of Political and Security Affairs and the Council of Economic Affairs and Development, which would oversee all changes and projects.
In addition, he launched Operation Decisive Storm to help the Yemeni people regain their land from Houthi rebels, and formed the Islamic Military Council, with its headquarters in Riyadh, to unite nations across the world against terrorist groups.

There has also been major revision of economic priorities, with several measures to account for the drop in oil prices. These changes were reflected in the country’s 2016 budget, which still focuses on supporting the needs of the nation’s citizens, he said.

The Council of Economic Affairs and Development has taken several measures to carry out the vision of the king, including looking at ways to diversify sources of income and reducing the country’s dependence on oil, said the crown prince.

Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said: “We can describe this year as the one of decisiveness and achievements. “At the national level, the royal orders contributed to the restructuring of the state’s agencies, particularly those of the Council of Ministers and the consequent cancelation of many councils and bodies, and the formation of the Council of Political and Security Affairs and the Council of Economic Affairs and Development.

“The Kingdom has become, during the past year, a destination for many of the leaders of the world, confirming its weight and excellent location on the world map.”

The deputy crown prince said King Salman’s response to the legitimate government of Yemen with the participation of many Arab and Islamic countries to regain its authority on Yemeni territory and fight against militias, has contributed to the return of the legitimate government to Yemen.

“The king’s call for the fight against terrorism and countering it by the formation of the Islamic Military Alliance under the command of Saudi Arabia and the establishment of a center for joint operations in Riyadh to coordinate and support military operations in the fight against terrorism and develop necessary programs mechanisms to support those efforts was welcomed by many of the sisterly and friendly countries,” he said.

With regard to the economic and development aspects, the deputy crown prince said: “The government continued, due to the king’s directives, in setting the economic priorities as well as the necessary initiatives and programs to support various development projects, taking into account the effects of lower oil prices on the state’s general budget and addressing them, in a way not affecting the needs of the country and its citizens.”

The grand mufti said King Salman has shown himself to be a decisive leader with a vision at a time when there is volatility across the Middle East; including having to deal with some countries that have a “greedy agenda” and want to take over the Kingdom.

He said that these nations not only endanger the Kingdom but all Muslims because Saudi Arabia is the home to Islam’s holiest sites. “Muslim pilgrims come here from all over the world because it is one of the holiest places in Islam. Maintaining the safety of our country is a religious duty.”

He also praised King Salman for his “wise decision” to launch Operation Decisive Storm to help the Yemeni people against the Houthis’ aggression. In addition, he welcomed the formation of the Islamic Military Alliance to fight terrorism.

“One of the important domestic accomplishments of King Salman has been the restructuring of the country institutions and councils.” He also commended the king for various measures to improve education and other aspects of the country.

The grand mufti described the king as a decisive man who has made great accomplishments. “He has a strong will-power and wisdom to make the right decisions at the right time,” he said.

He described the decision to launch Operation Decisive Storm as a wise one, “because it aims to restore legitimacy in Yemen and stop the Houthi aggression against its people.”
The grand mufti said the operation succeeded in its aims.

“King Salman’s reign is full of promising successes and accomplishments, and we pray for the long life of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman,” Al-Asheikh said.
King Salman’s reign defined by economic restructuring, iron fist vs. terrorists | Arab News
 
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A year of achievements

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RIYADH — Exactly a year ago today, (3 Rabul Thani 1436 Hijri), King Salman became the seventh monarch of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Today as the nation celebrates the first anniversary of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman’s ascension to the throne, the Kingdom is more stable, powerful, peaceful and moving on the path of constructive reforms and development.

Just after assuming power, King Salman gave a bonus of two months’ salary to all Saudi state employees and military personnel, including pensioners and students, and told citizens: “Don’t forget me in your prayers.”

Among the first things King Salman did was to streamline the government and bureaucracy.

He abolished 12 committees and councils and replaced them with the Council of Political and Security Affairs (CPSA) headed by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, and the Council for Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA) headed by Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman.

After assuming power, King Salman made it clear that he wanted to infuse new blood.

On January 30, 2015, he reshuffled the Cabinet and appointed new emirs. In July 2015, the King again reshuffled the Cabinet, and said that it was undertaken to support the “path to development.”

In April 2015, King Salman strengthened second generation leadership by appointing Prince Muhammad Bin Naif as crown prince, deputy premier and minister of interior and Prince Muhammad Bin Salman as deputy crown prince, second deputy premier and minister of defense.

Inaugurating the 4th year of the 6th session of the Shoura Council in December, the King said that security and economic development will remain top priorities for the Kingdom.

He said Saudi Arabia’s foreign policies are aimed at serving Arab and Islamic causes and fighting terrorism.

The King took a bold decision to help Yemen at the request of President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi by leading Operation Decisive Storm and launching Operation Restoration of Hope.

Under King Salman, Saudi Arabia has stood firmly in solidarity with the Syrian people.

The Kingdom has received nearly 2.5 million Syrians since the conflict erupted in their country.

Saudi Arabia has also provided more than $700 million in humanitarian aid to Syrians and has set up clinics in various refugee camps. More than 100,000 Syrian students are receiving free education in the Kingdom.

On the domestic front, King Salman’s focus has been to diversify sources of income and improve the efficiency of government spending to reduce dependence on oil revenue.

Under King Salman, the government’s economic vision is to focus on increasing the efficiency of government spending as well as increasing returns on investments. King Salman has been steadfast in his approach to fight terrorism. A key indicator in this fight has been the establishment of a 34-nation Islamic Military Alliance with joint operations center based in Riyadh.
A year of achievements - Saudi Gazette
 
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