Minister for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful. Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses. Mr. president of the United Nations General Assembly.
Mr. Secretary general distinguished guests. Peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you. At the outset, we wish to congratulate His Excellency, Mr. Khalid Al Rahman on his election as president of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. We wish him every success in guiding the work of this session.
We also wish to express our thanks to Mrs. Annalena Baerbock for her efforts during her presidency of the 81st session of the GA. We further express our profound thanks and appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres Secretary General of the United Nations, for his continued effort in furthering the purposes of the UN. Mr. president, the work of this session is taking place at a time when the world and the multilateral system are facing rapidly evolving and unprecedented challenges, while crises and conflicts continue in many parts of the world. There is an increasing need to uphold the principles of the UN charter, respect international law and strengthen the effectiveness of international institutions in maintaining international peace and security and advancing sustainable development.
Crises arise not so much from an absence of resources and opportunities, but rather from a lack of commitment to the principles agreed upon by the international community. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the countries of the region have been subjected to flagrant Iranian attacks, targeting their security resources and civilian and economic facilities. The kingdom reiterates its full right to protect its security and sovereignty, its citizens and residents, and its national resources. We call upon the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in confronting all threats to international peace and security.
The security of the Gulf region is part and parcel of the security of the region and the world at large. The stability of this vital region is directly linked to global energy security, the steadiness of international trade, and the resilience of global supply chains. Mr. president, safeguarding international navigation and the resilience of global supply chains is a shared responsibility that requires serious international cooperation to prevent risks that could affect the global economy. In this regard, the Kingdom stresses the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation in all international waterways, foremost among them the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el Mandeb Strait, the Red sea and the Gulf of Aden.
We must restore the situation in the Strait of Hormuz to its pre 28th of February status, without the imposition of any fees or restrictions. The kingdom rejects the use by any party of these vital waterways as an instrument of pressure, threat or harm to the interests of states in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions. Mr. president, efforts to restore security and stability in the region and to build sustainable relations among its countries cannot be based on domination, influence or exploitation of crises. Rather, they must be founded on mutual respect, common interests, good neighbourliness respect for the sovereignty of states, and full compliance with international law and international humanitarian law.
In this vein, the Kingdom supports efforts and initiatives that contribute to de-escalation, foremost among them the efforts of Qatar, Pakistan and other sisterly and friendly countries. This would contribute to restoring stability to the region and creating conditions conducive to dialogue and diplomacy. We stress the importance of ensuring that any arrangements on the regional security must be comprehensive, effective and sustainable. They must clearly address the root causes of threatened instability.
We stress the need to ensure that the entire region is free of weapons of mass destruction, and that peaceful nuclear programs are subject to international oversight, verification and safeguards. As such, we would enhance confidence and safeguard regional and international security. The continued suffering of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and the targeting of civilians by Israeli occupation, the obstruction of humanitarian assistance, attempts at forced displacement and the continued expansion of illegal settlements all constitute serious violations of international law and international humanitarian law. The kingdom rejects any attempts at forced displacement or changing the status quo of the Palestinian territories.
We stress that a just and lasting peace can only be achieved through the implementation of the two state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The kingdom stresses the need to support efforts aimed at reaching a comprehensive political solution that will ensure the stability of Yemen and alleviate the suffering of those brotherly people. We have provided humanitarian and development assistance to the Republic of Yemen, amounting to more than 29 billion USD. We were the first among humanitarian donors to the Republic of Yemen in 2025.
The kingdom in this regard welcomes the statement issued by the members of the Security Council including the condemnation of the missile and drone attacks carried out by the Houthi terrorist militia against the kingdom and against commercial vessels. The kingdom calls upon the international community to reject and condemn all the Houthi terrorist militias, aggressions and criminal acts that threaten the security of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab el Mandeb Strait. With regard to Sudan, the kingdom stresses the importance of Sudan's stability, territorial integrity and unity while maintaining its natural resources and institutions. The solution to the crisis must be an intra Sudanese political solution that respects the sovereignty and unity of Sudan.
It must be based on supporting Sudanese state institutions, thus fulfilling the aspirations of the Sudanese people, alleviating their humanitarian suffering and enhancing their security and stability. The kingdom supports all efforts aimed at strengthening Syria's security and stability and preserving its territorial integrity. The Kingdom welcomes the USA's announcement of removing Syria from the list of states sponsoring of terrorism, in view of its contribution to strengthening stability and reconstruction and development. And we have to condemn and reject any effort at undermining efforts to restore security and stability within Syria.
In Lebanon, the kingdom reiterated support for the Lebanese state and its legitimate institutions. The implementation of the Taif Agreement, the restriction of arms to the state and preservation of its sovereignty security and stability. We also attach importance to Iraq's role in promoting cooperation and stability in the region, and support all efforts to contribute to achieving security and stability and prosperity. And we have to ensure that weapons will only be restricted to the state to ensure security and stability in Iraq.
We have to ensure that the Iraqi territory will not become a source of attack against other neighbouring countries. Mr. president, the achievements made through Saudi Vision 2030, ten years after its launch, represent a model of comprehensive national transformation. The latter is based on economic diversification, investment in human capital, promotion of innovation, empowerment of youth and women, development of the private sector, and consolidation of sustainability The vision has contributed to strengthening the kingdom's position as a regional and international hub for business, investment, tourism, industry, technology and logistics. Thus, non-oil activities accounted for 55% of non-oil GDP.
The level of unemployment among Saudis has declined, reaching 6.4% in 2026, compared with 12.3% in 2016. Mr. president, energy security rests on the strength and resilience of the energy system and its capacity to withstand and adapt to disruptions, ensuring the stability of energy supplies, protecting critical infrastructure, diversifying supply routes and safeguarding freedom of navigation are all shared responsibility that require sustained international cooperation. The Kingdom demonstrated this commitment in practice during the disruptions affecting maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Maintaining the continuity of energy supplies through its long term investments in infrastructure, the East West pipeline, together with its petroleum reserves outside the region, also contributed to mitigating the effects of those disruptions and enhancing the reliability of supplies to global markets.
The kingdom affirms that energy security and climate action are mutually reinforcing objectives. In this context, we stress the importance of not excluding any source of energy and of pursuing realistic and comprehensive transition pathways that achieve energy security, protect the climate, and support economic development. This approach has contributed to making the kingdom one of the countries with the lowest carbon and methane emissions globally from hydrocarbon resource production Operations. The Kingdom continues to develop a more efficient and sustainable energy system through the deployment of emissions reduction technologies, including carbon capture, utilisation and storage, and carbon dioxide removal.
We have also expanded the use of renewable energy, the application of innovation and the production of sustainable fuels, including clean hydrogen These efforts support energy security, enhance resource efficiency, and contribute to achieving sustainability. Mr. president, the in light of the rapid development of the world is witnessing. In the field of regional and international trade, there is a need for ensuring continuous trade influx, especially from the east to the west. This will not only be in the support of the Kingdom, but the world at large We have provided logistic support to the neighbouring countries during the current crisis by opening up our ports for the transport of goods and people.
This reflects our responsibility towards the region and the world. In light of the rapid developments the world is witnessing in the field of artificial intelligence, the Kingdom stresses the importance of harnessing these technologies in the service of humanity and development, and enhancing international cooperation to ensure the responsible use. The Kingdom has taken a leading role in establishing the international network of artificial intelligence capacity building centres. One of the recommendations emanating from the pact for the future.
The Kingdom also hosts the International Centre for Research and Ethics in AI in Riyadh under the auspices of Unesco, thereby strengthening international cooperation in this field and contributing to the consolidation of ethical principles governing the development and use of AI applications. In conclusion, our world today is in need of the greatest possible measure of wisdom, responsibility and cooperation. The challenges confronting us cannot be addressed by any state on its own. Security can only be consolidated and sustained through adherence to the principles upon which the UN charter is founded, as well as through a respect for international law.
The Kingdom will continue to work with its partners in the international community to advance sustainable development, peaceful solutions to crises, and every pathway that reinforces stability and builds confidence based on mutual respect, with a view to building a safer and more prosperous future for the region and the world. Peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you.