Deputizing for Custodian of Two Holy Mosques, HRH the Crown Prince Inaugurates Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit in Riyadh

Riyadh: Deputizing for Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, inaugurated the Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit, that he chairs, in Riyadh today. HRH the Crown Prince and the leaders and heads of the participating delegations posed for a group photo before the summit. The event began with a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran.

HRH the Crown Prince delivered the opening speech, the text of which reads as follows:

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Your Majesties, Excellencies, and esteemed guests, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,

Dear attendees,

Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you. On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, we are honored to welcome you to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, your second homeland. This summit is an extension of the previous joint meeting; it convenes against the backdrop of the ongoing reprehensible Israeli attacks on the Palestinian people and the expansion of these attacks into the Lebanese Republic.

The Kingdom reaffirms its condemnation and utter rejection of the genocide perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinian people, which has resulted in over 150,000 martyrs, wounded, and missing, most of them women and children. Israel's continued criminal actions against innocent people, its violation of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and its undermining of the Palestinian Authority's pivotal role in all Palestinian territories will hinder efforts to secure the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and establish regional peace. Moreover, the Kingdom condemns the obstruction of the relief efforts of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Palestinian territories, as well as the obstruction of the work of humanitarian organizations providing aid to the Palestinian people. We strongly condemn the Israeli military operations targeting Lebanese territories and reject any threats to Lebanon's security and stability, violations of its territorial integrity, and the displacement of its citizens.

The Kingdom stands in solidarity with the brotherly peoples of Palestine and Lebanon to overcome the devastating humanitarian consequences of the ongoing Israeli aggression. We urge the international community to uphold international peace and security by immediately halting the Israeli attacks on the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples, and ensuring that Israel respects the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran and ceases all hostile actions on Iranian territories.

Dear attendees,

Our countries have jointly condemned the Israeli aggression and affirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause. We have urged greater international recognition of the State of Palestine, mobilized support for Palestinian rights, as expressed in UN General Assembly resolutions regarding full Palestine UN membership, and advocated for an end to the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

We have also launched, in partnership with the European Union and Norway, the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, whose first meeting was recently hosted by Saudi Arabia, and invite other countries to join. Therefore, we emphasize the continued joint efforts to establish a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the preservation of Lebanon's sovereignty over all its territory.

We anticipate this summit will contribute to achieving our shared goals. May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you."

The Saudi delegation to the summit includes Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of State and Cabinet Member Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz, Sport Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, National Guard Minister Prince Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of State, Cabinet Member and National Security Advisor Dr Musaed Al-Aiban, and HRH the Crown Prince Secretary Dr Bandar Al-Rasheed.