FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ AT THE OPENING SESSION OF THE 19TH ARAB SUMMIT IN RIYADH TODAY: "IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE BENEFICENT THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD'S PRAYERS AND SALUTATION TO OUR PROPHET MOHAMMED YOUR MAJESTIES, YOUR EXCELLENCIES, YOUR HIGHNESSES THE LEADERS OF THE ARAB NATION. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN ASSALAMU ALAIKUM WA RAHMATULLAHI WA BARAKATUHU I AM PLEASED TO WELCOME YOU ON MY BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF THE KINGDOM SAUDI ARABIA, WISHING YOU SUCCESS IN YOUR DELIBERATIONS. I THANK MY BROTHER OMER HASSAN AHMED AL BASHIR, THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE SUDAN, FOR ALL THE EFFORTS HE EXERTED DURING HIS CHAIRMANSHIP OF LAST YEAR'S SUMMIT. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THE ARAB LEAGUE WAS ESTABLISHED MORE THAN SIXTY YEARS AGO SO THAT IT BECOMES A NUCLEUS FOR A GENUINE ARAB UNITY, UNITY OF ARMIES, UNITY OF ECONOMY AND UNITY OF POLITICAL GOALS AND BEFORE AL THAT UNITY OF HEARTS AND MINDS. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE BIG QUESTION WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES IS: WHAT DID WE REALIZED OF ALL THESE GOALS? THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS EXPOSED BY OUR REALITY WHICH IS FAR AWAY FROM UNITY SINCE THE LEAGUE WAS ESTABLISHED. --MORE
