Saudi Arabia is moving in the right direction on many fronts, Ford M. Fraker, the outgoing US Ambassador to the Kingdom, said here on Sunday night. He was speaking at the National Day celebration organized by the Consulate General. Though the US National Day falls on July 4, this year's festivities were organized early to take advantage of March's cooler weather. The event was also a farewell for Fraker. Dignitaries and guests from all walks of life were present on the occasion, including distinguished businessmen, academics, government officials and members of the diplomatic corps in Jeddah. Smiling cutouts of President Barack Obama and festive American and Saudi flags adorned the consulate, while Consul General Martin Quinn and wife welcomed and spoke with the guests. “Jeddah has exceeded my expectations. I hadn't expected the people of this city to be this vibrant,” Quinn told Saudi Gazette. The festivities lasted well over four hours with guests reveling in the sumptuous American food – catered by 22 American food vendors – offering a variety of culinary treats dubbed by Quinn as “the taste of America” from traditionally barbequed hotdogs to apple pies. The stately Color Guard ceremony featured both the Saudi and American national anthems and was followed by speeches by Quinn, Ambassador Fraker and Mohammad Ahmad Tayab, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Makkah branch). All three focused strongly on the enduring friendship of the two nations. “Building vital partnerships in the Kingdom is a way to solidify the special US-Saudi relationship which is based on mutual respect,” Quinn said. Ambassador Fraker expressed much confidence in the Kingdom. “We've been hugely successful in working with the Ministry of Interior, and it is possible for me to say that Al-Qaeda no longer exists in Saudi Arabia as an organization,” he said. “This celebration inspires those people who are still struggling against foreign occupation to gain their freedom like the American people,” remarked Tayab. He welcomed the change advocated by President Obama and expressed the hope that it would bring peace and prosperity in the region.
