The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrated its 96th National Day in Ghana with a call for deeper bilateral cooperation and reaffirmation of the Kingdom's commitment to strengthening its historic partnership with Ghana.
At the ceremony held at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra, the Saudi Ambassador to Ghana, Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Dhakel, said the historical relations between the two countries continued to witness development in various fields, characterised by mutual respect and strong friendship over time, adding that the Kingdom remained Ghana's oldest bilateral partner in the Arabian Gulf region.
According to the ambassador, relations between Ghana and Saudi Arabia were defined by cooperation in political, economic, cultural, educational, sports, religious and other fields.
He highlighted the role of the Saudi Fund for Development, which had been a primary partner of Ghana for many years and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, which served as the official entity providing humanitarian services in Ghana for the public good.
He highlighted the longstanding friendship and bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Ghana, noting that the partnership had supported development cooperation across several sectors.
He called on Ghanaian investors to explore opportunities for partnerships with their Saudi counterparts, particularly in the private sector, to promote investment, economic cooperation and mutual benefit.
He conveyed the warm greetings and wishes of the custodians of the two holy mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to President John Dramani Mahama, Vice-President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, and the government and people of Ghana.
Pride of Ghana
Sultan Abdulrahman also congratulated Ghana on the outstanding performance of Zainab Abdurahman at the 46th King Abdulaziz International Quran Competition in Saudi Arabia.
Ms Abdurahman of Ghana placed second among 133 countries that participated in the competition, which was held at the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
The ambassador described the achievement as a source of pride for Ghana and commended the young Ghanaian for representing the country on an important international platform.
Strengthen bonds of friendship, cooperation
The Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, who represented the Government of Ghana as Special Guest of Honour, expressed Ghana's appreciation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its longstanding partnership and contributions to the country's development.
He cited Saudi support in areas, including infrastructure, health, education, energy, agriculture and the provision of potable water to underserved communities through the Saudi Fund for Development and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief).
The minister also commended the Saudi Government for its support to thousands of Ghanaian pilgrims who travel to the Kingdom each year to perform Hajj.
He congratulated Ms Abdurahman on her achievement, noting that her performance had brought honour to Ghana and demonstrated the capabilities of young Ghanaians on the international stage.
Mr Ayariga reaffirmed Ghana's commitment to strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation between Ghana and Saudi Arabia.
He expressed the hope that the relationship between the two countries would continue to grow and produce greater opportunities for their respective peoples.
