The reign of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has been characterized by a number of reforms and achievements which have elevated the Kingdom to an advanced rank among the world's countries, respected French newspaper Le Figaro has said. In an article by Loseil Van Dersilk to mark the fifth anniversary of King Abdullah's ascension to the throne according to the Gregorian calendar, Le Figaro said King Abdullah has furthered the development of the Kingdom by instituting a series of pragmatic reforms. It said that relations between King Abdullah and the people of Saudi Arabia are firm and stable due to the noble positions taken by the royal family in both domestic and foreign affairs. Van Dersilk cited a number of achievements which have taken place during the era of King Abdullah. “On the economic front, we find that the Kingdom remained relatively stable amid the international financial crisis which negatively affected a number of countries,” the writer noted. The paper said King Abdullah has, amid the global financial slowdown, dedicated a number of public expenditure programs worth more than $400 billion for giant projects in the field of transportation and has opened new economic cities in different parts of the Kingdom. Le Figaro said that following the accession of the Kingdom to the World Trade Organization in December 2005, doors opened wide for foreign investors in the Kingdom. The writer pointed to the opening of King Abdullah University for Science and Technology last September, noting that the university would upgrade the Kingdom's academic profile and place it in the ranks of advanced countries in the field of research. The renowned journalist speaking of King Abdullah's achievements in international affairs cited the Arab Peace Initiative and the dialogue among followers of different religions and civilizations. “Among the achievements of King Abdullah was that he took the initiative to call for dialogue between followers of religions; he stressed the need for moderation to bring about security and stability in Lebanon and he arranged for a series of domestic national dialogues,” she said. She suggested that all those initiatives and others are evidence of King Abdullah's vision, drawing attention to the current Saudi antiquities exhibition in Paris as yet further proof that the Kingdom is widely embracing the outside world. Concluding the article, the writer said King Abdullah has, since ascending the throne, guided the country through a series of reasonable reforms and that most Saudis now willingly agree that things are going in the right direction. “As for us in France, it is now time to build bridges of trust, friendship and fruitful cooperation between our countries,” she said.
