Three Years Overflowing with Resolve, Full of Reform

On the land of a proud homeland, led by a steadfast king who guides it toward the summit with far-reaching vision, soaring ambition, penetrating thought, and discerning insight, our blessed country, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz - may God protect him - has been able to achieve developmental, advancement and reform leaps in a short period that would normally be too brief to accommodate the scale of the major achievements attained. It has been three years - just three years - replete with giving, overflowing with resolve and determination, full of reform, to draw the features of a firmly established homeland, lay the foundations of a civilized state, and raise towering pillars for a beloved homeland, dear in its policies, its economy and its constants. And we are still at the beginning of the journey for a lofty homeland that its people take pride in, raising their hands in supplication for its victorious leader, with support, aid and guidance.

Reflecting on the reality of our country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it can be said with confidence and certainty that the leader of this epic of glory and eminence, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz - may God protect him - was able, in just three years of managing the country's affairs, to accomplish a number of courageous steps, achieve a set of strategic goals, and chart a sound path for his country to follow in building a competitive nation. Here he is - may God support him - sensing the scale of the silent danger creeping toward us from the Kingdom's southern border, ordering with courage and determination the launch of a military campaign to repel the source of evil there on Yemeni soil, and to restore matters to their proper course, with the wheel of war still turning there, bearing tidings of a near victory, God willing, looming on the horizon.

At the domestic level, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz - may God protect him - has made courageous decisions reflecting the depth of his awareness and understanding of the nature of this phase, and what must be done to ensure the Kingdom's progress and the continuity of its international competitiveness, as he departed from the traditional line of building the Kingdom's economy on oil towards launching new modern projects. It is a new leap towards a modern world that believes in modernization and combats traditional images.

On another front, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques - may God support him - launched an anti-corruption campaign aimed at purging the nation of this affliction, preserving state resources, and protecting public funds. This courageous campaign served as a deterrent and awakened the conscience of anyone tempted to tamper with public funds, exploit their authority, or use their position for personal gain. This bold campaign found broad popular acceptance for being comprehensive against all corrupt individuals without regard or favoritism for anyone. On another note, this campaign demonstrated the great extent of integrity among those in positions of authority of various kinds, as it held accountable only a very small segment compared to the population of this lofty, pure country, the cradle of revelation, the source of the Message, and the dawn of Islam.

In a related context, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques - may God watch over him - was able to strengthen the Kingdom's international standing, double its strength, and affirm its influential presence in international circles, and that it carries the greatest weight and the decisive balance in the region, and that it is one of the greatest balances of power at the international level, and that it holds leadership and pioneering status, and is the party with the widest influence, and that its Arab and Islamic influence is significant at the international level, and that it possesses strength and immunity, that its walls are unyielding, and its land forbidden to any enemy or troublemaker.

Alongside all of this, the Kingdom launched, in this blessed era, a strategic vision for the Kingdom charting its present and future up to the year 2030, an ambitious vision that has driven state institutions in general to draw inspiration from it and act upon it in their strategic plans, to achieve a better future for the homeland and citizen, and a comfortable, ideal life.

The Communications and Information Technology Commission is one of the most prominent entities concerned with activating the Kingdom's Vision (2030), as the telecommunications sector is the most widely spread sector across the Kingdom, and its services have become as important as water and electricity services, in addition to the telecommunications sector's contribution to state revenues, and its direct impact on the life of every individual in it, which has made the Communications and Information Technology Commission work with redoubled seriousness to ensure its steps support the Kingdom's Vision and fulfill its content, which has driven it to continue its efforts and work on a plan to deploy fiber optics to reach more than two million homes by 2020, targeting 70% of homes in remote areas as part of the National Transformation Program 2020, and providing and preparing telecommunications infrastructure for more residents of towns, villages and hamlets across the country, with the total number of towns, villages and hamlets served to date exceeding more than (17) thousand villages and hamlets, while the Commission also aims to increase the local value added of telecommunications and information technology to reach approximately (100) billion Saudi riyals.

Among the most notable tasks of the Communications and Information Technology Commission is protecting intellectual security, safeguarding the privacy of individuals and institutions, and combating cybercrime. On the ethical level online, the Commission exerts major efforts to purify online content, and the total number of requests the Commission has previously processed in this regard has reached more than five million, which is undoubtedly a large number. On a parallel level, the Commission pays great attention to protecting children against online exploitation, and processed, in just one year, more than (1,550) links harmful to them, which led it to adopt a national project to protect children from internet risks in partnership with the Ministry of Education, and to launch a number of awareness materials on its YouTube channel.

What has been outlined above is merely a window onto part of the efforts of the Communications and Information Technology Commission in serving the nation and the citizen, illustrating a picture of its work in parallel with the new directions of this flourishing era, the era of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, may God protect him, who today completes three years replete with progress and giving, during which he achieved accomplishments that would normally require decades, confirming that our proud nation is soaring towards the future under a resolute leadership that follows developments at the local and international levels, recognizes the scale of transformations at the regional level, and believes in its mission towards the nation and the people.

May God protect my master, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, grant him His aid and success, and lengthen his life as a treasure for his people and nation, and support him with his Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, may God support him, asking God to perpetuate security and stability for our country, and glory and empowerment for our wise government.