As we celebrate the country's National Day today (Sept. 23) it is time for deep introspection: What have we achieved since King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud established the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 and what are the spheres which leave much to be desired? We need to not only look back at different stages of nation-building, consolidation and achievements, but also look forward to the future and all the concomitant challenges which lie ahead of us. Some of the challenges are being addressed in right earnest: Transparency in the judicial system is being envisaged, far-reaching changes in the sponsorship laws are in the offing and measures have been taken to protect and safeguard the human rights. Besides, the government has embarked upon developmental projects including the establishment of several economic cities and it has poured in billions for the expansion of the Two Holy Mosques. Both King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, have shown their determination to make Saudi Arabia a modern welfare state. Through the years, and in line with changed global realities, both have shown keenness to promote reforms that will help propel the country well into the next decades. The leadership has time and again emphasized the need for accountability and transparency, which are considered vital for good governance. Almighty Allah deserves all praise for He, in His Infinite Glory, blessed Saudi Arabia with the Two Holy Mosques at Makkah and Madina. Thanks are also due to the Lord for decades of stability and security that we have enjoyed despite varied attempts from within and without to destabilize our beloved country. We are also grateful to the Almighty for giving us the strength to face and fight the menace of terrorism head-on. Pragmatic policies of the Kingdom's wise leadership have helped us to effectively deal with this scourge which has taken a heavy toll on our security personnel and our citizens. But by the grace of the Almighty we are moving forward. Of late, there has been a greater emphasis on the rights of women in society. The Saudi woman is smart, educated, cultured and capable of shouldering the responsibility of nation-building alongside her male counterparts. One thing is for sure: Any society that turns a blind eye to the contribution of women in economic and social development does so at the risk of its existence. Can we afford it? By initiating a comprehensive dialogue with other monotheistic religions, King Abdullah has tread on a path that will certainly lead to the prevalence of world peace and prosperity. Let us hope and pray that better sense prevails on those who are out to wreak havoc on society which longs for tolerance and peaceful co-existence. Now let us focus on the developmental projects undertaken by the Kingdom since its unification and all the concerted efforts exerted by the Kingdom's leadership to provide stability, peace and tranquility to its citizens; and the initiation of other welfare measures so vital to the onward march of the nation. Religion occupies a prime place in leadership to provide stability, peace and tranquility to its citizens; and the initiation of other welfare measures so vital to the onward march of the nation. Religion occupies a prime place in the Kingdom, whose very constitution is based on Allah's Book the Qur'an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). In realization of the importance of the Two Holy Mosques, in recent years the government has spent more than SR70 billion to implement expansion projects at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madina. Following the expansion project, the total area of the Grand Mosque increased to 356,000 square meters from 152,000 square meters. The huge project at Jamarat zone was implemented at a total cost of about SR4 billion. The area of the Prophet's Mosque, after the latest expansion, amounts to 82,000 square meters. The expansion also included an area of about 235,000 square meters at the areas surrounding the mosque. These expansions will raise the capacity of the mosque to more than 730,000 worshippers and on some occasions to more than a million worshippers. Education: The importance of education is basically for two reasons: Training of a human mind is not complete without education and education helps man become a right thinker. The second reason is that only through the attainment of education can one differentiate between right and a wrong, between truth and falsehood. It is, therefore, the Kingdom has made great strides in this sector. Today the Kingdom boasts of 19 major universities, a large number of vocational institutes and a growing number of private colleges and schools. Besides the Kingdom has over 20,000 primary and secondary schools imparting education to over five million students, almost half of them girls. The Kingdom's massive expenditure on education at all levels, but particularly at the higher level, must be seen as an earnest step to replace tens of thousands of expatriate managers, scientists, engineers and teachers with Saudis. The Kingdom's development plans have underscored the importance of industry as a way to diversify the productive base and lessen dependence on the exports of crude oil. Industries: During the last 30 years, there has been significant development in the nation's industrial sector. The Kingdom's 3,906 factories in which SR296.5 billion were invested at the end of 1427 Hijra are a witness to this dramatic industrial growth. These factories cover a variety of industries including metals, chemicals, and plastics as well as ceramics, building materials, textiles, ready-made clothes, and food. The Kingdom has 14 industrial cities with an area of about 90 million square meters with 1,800 factories with an invested capital of more than SR60 billion and 152,000 workers. The Kingdom's non-petroleum industrial exports in 2007 amounted to SR87.5 billion exported to more than 130 countries. The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), established in 1396 Hijra, has become a pillar of industrial development producing metals, fertilizers and petrochemicals to the highest international standards. Health: The number of government and private hospitals in the Kingdom until 1427 Hijra reached 386 with a capacity of 54,724 beds. The number of doctors working in government hospitals totaled 21,265 while pharmacists accounted for 1,023. There are more than 1,970 dental clinics at health centers and hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Health. As many as 1,500 dentists are working in these clinics throughout the Kingdom. The general budget for the fiscal year 1428-29 Hijra included new health projects for over 250 primary health care centers in all regions of the Kingdom as well as establishing 8 hospitals with a capacity of 1,900 beds. The estimated cost of implementing these projects amounted to SR6,300,000,000. Agriculture: The Kingdom has been giving great attention to the progress and development of the agriculture and animal resources sectors. The Kingdom's agricultural policy is based on the creation of balance between water security and food security in a manner that realizes sustainable agriculture and leads to diversification of the productive base. The area cultivated with crops in 2007 amounted to 6,02,653 hectares. The area allocated for production of cereals and fodder by last year amounted to about 740,000 hectares, while vegetable production in the same year totaled 111,000 hectares. This area produced about 2.617 million tons of fresh vegetables, 469,000 tons of potatoes, 216,000 tons of muskmelon, 385,000 tons of watermelon and 242,000 tons of cucumbers. The government has spent SR62 million on projects of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) up to the end of the fiscal year 1427-28 Hijra. In 2007 the Kingdom produced more than 1,066 million cubic meters of desalinated water. The cost of establishing water desalination stations for the next few years will amount to about SR70 billion. The private sector will be capable of contributing to the implementation of water desalination projects. The length of roads constructed in the Kingdom up to the fiscal year 1427-28 Hijra exceeded 178,000 km. These roads include Riyadh-Taif Road (750 km) Makkah-Madina Road (421 km) Jeddah-Makkah Road (60 km) Madina-Tabuk Road (680 km) and Qassim-Hail Road (305 km). In 2007, the Kingdom's ports handled in-coming and out-going cargo totaling 141 million tons excluding crude oil. Out of this volume, exports amounted to 83.5 million tons, comprising 59 of the total cargo. The most prominent of these exports were refined petroleum products, petrochemicals and industrial materials. On the other hand, imports accounted for 57.5 million tons and the most important of these imports were food, construction and raw materials, and consumer goods. Until the end of the fiscal year 2007, the Saudi government spent about SR38 billion to establish and develop eight ports which include 184 quays capable of receiving the largest ships in the world and working around-the-clock throughout the year. __
