JEDDAH, 11 July 2007 -- Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who completes two years as the king of Saudi Arabia today (Jamad Al-Thani 26, 1428H) in accordance with the Hijra calendar, has played a big role in enhancing the Kingdom's international reputation by introducing a series of political, economic and social reforms and establishing good relations with other countries.

Abdullah, who ascended to the throne on this day two years ago (by the lunar calendar, which is 11 days shorter) following the death of King Fahd, is widely known as a man of peace and reforms.

An ardent supporter of the Palestinian cause, Abdullah used his foreign trips to muster support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. The Arab peace plan, which was relaunched by the last Arab summit in Riyadh, is his brainchild.

Abdullah's two years as king were marked by several achievements. He launched four mega economic cities in Rabigh, Hail, Madinah and Jizan, which are expected to draw SR300 billion in new investment projects and create more than a million new jobs. He increased salaries of government employees by 15 percent and cut fuel prices by 30 percent. He ordered the release of thousands of prisoners across the country, including many expatriate workers, who were arrested for petty crimes. Within a few days after ascending the throne, he pardoned four Saudis and two Libyans suspected of attempting to assassinate him when he was crown prince.

King Abdullah visited different parts of the Kingdom to know the condition of his people and their development requirements. These royal visits witnessed the launch of new educational, health and infrastructure projects including eight new universities in Madinah, Qassim, Jizan, Najran, Al-Jouf, Arar, Sakaka and Tabuk as part of the government's policy of achieving balanced development for all regions of the Kingdom.

Abdullah also found time to visit many influential countries in the East and West including China, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Turkey, France, Spain and Poland in order to strengthen economic, political, educational and security cooperation with them. His meeting with US President George W. Bush at the president's Texas ranch in April 2005 was instrumental in taking Saudi-American relations to new heights.

King Abdullah has also paid special attention to victims of natural calamities in various parts of the world by sending them relief supplies and funds.

Abdullah introduced the new succession law to ensure smooth transfer of power and remove the uncertainty caused by the inability of a king or crown prince to run the affairs of the state as a result of poor health.

Under the law a committee of senior princes would be appointed to select future generations of kings and crown princes. The law, which has 25 articles, offers a new mechanism for declaring the reigning monarch or heir to the throne unfit to exercise their powers, temporarily or permanently.

On the home front, Abdullah worked for the empowerment of women by protecting their rights and opening job opportunities in new areas. He also stood firm against terrorists and extremists and pledged to wipe them out from the country.

He promoted a culture of dialogue in the country by setting up the King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue, which held several meetings to discuss issues related to women, education, labor and reforms. The king vowed to end administrative corruption and bureaucratic practices by passing a new law. The national budget he unveiled for 2007, projecting SR380 billion ($101 billion) in expenditure and SR400 billion ($106 billion) in revenue was the largest in the Kingdom's history.

By P.K. Abdul Ghafour

© Arab News 2007