The Royal Address delivered by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on behalf of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to the Shura Council on Wednesday conveyed several messages about Saudi Arabia’s approach to regional crises.
Analysts said the messages reaffirmed support for stability and political solutions, alongside the protection of sovereignty and national interests, while underscoring the continued implementation of rapid economic reforms under Saudi Vision 2030.
In the address, the Crown Prince stressed that Saudi Arabia was working to strengthen international cooperation, de-escalate conflicts and defuse tensions.
He said the Kingdom would not hesitate to respond firmly to any threat or attack against it.
He said Saudi Arabia supported the Yemeni government through the Arab Coalition “to extend its authority across the country, restore stability, and confront the attacks of the terrorist Houthi militias, which have chosen chaos and destruction and threats to the Yemeni people and the region.”
The Crown Prince said attacks targeting all Gulf states demonstrated that their security and stability were indivisible.
“We are working with our brothers to safeguard Gulf security and pursue strategic cooperation and economic integration,” he said.
He stressed that Saudi Arabia’s commitment to the rights of the Palestinian people was an unwavering position, backed by efforts that would continue until Palestinians secured their legitimate rights.
Six key points
Political analyst Munif al-Harbi said the Royal Address had six key points, foremost among them support for Yemen’s internationally recognized government to extend its authority over all Yemeni territory.
He said this indicated that reaching a political solution required “an effective change on the ground in favor of Yemen’s legitimate government.”
“Makkah Pact”
Harbi pointed to what he described as “clear Saudi satisfaction” with the Turkish and Pakistani roles in the Makkah agreement, which he said the Crown Prince had called the “Makkah Pact.”
He also highlighted the emphasis on the importance of the multinational maritime defense coalition, freedom of navigation and the international community’s responsibility in this regard.
“The Palestinian issue remains a Saudi foreign policy priority”
The inclusion of the Palestinian issue in the address, despite successive regional crises, reflected its continued place among Saudi foreign policy priorities, Harbi said.
He said this was evident in the assertion that peace in the Middle East required the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
On domestic affairs, Harbi noted that the address linked the response to political and security conditions with the continued implementation of Saudi Vision 2030.
He pointed to the Crown Prince’s statement that Saudi Vision programs had achieved 93% of their objectives, alongside a continued focus on development, national advancement, prosperity and quality of life.
A message about “Saudi human and military capabilities”
Harbi added that the address conveyed a message about Saudi Arabia’s human and military capabilities and its ability to respond to threats.
He also cited what he described as the Kingdom’s “advanced deterrence capability,” which enabled it to address challenges and turn them into opportunities.
Political researcher Faisal al-Shammeri said the address reflected Saudi Arabia acting “from the position of a confident state that knows its interests and approaches regional issues through stability and the responsible exercise of power.”
Shammeri said the political dimension of the address focused on the interconnected nature of Gulf security. Regional challenges were presented as parts of a single framework affecting the region’s security and stability, rather than as separate issues.
He added that, in his reading, the address balanced support for diplomatic solutions and de-escalation with a commitment to protecting sovereignty and national interests.
“Leaving no strategic vacuum”
Shammeri said the positions on the Palestinian issue, Red Sea and Gulf security, and Yemen’s stability reflected the continuity of Saudi policy on those issues.
He said the address’s overall message was that the Kingdom did not seek escalation but would not leave what he described as a “strategic vacuum” in its neighborhood.
International affairs researcher Ahmed al-Ibrahim said the address reflected Saudi Arabia’s continued policy of combining diplomatic action with the ability to protect national interests.
It also stressed that regional stability depended on supporting state institutions and preventing crises from becoming persistent sources of threats, he said.
Ibrahim added that linking regional developments with the continued implementation of Vision 2030 indicated that Riyadh viewed development as a strategic course that would continue through crises.
On regional affairs, he said Yemen, maritime security and the Palestinian issue stood out in a context that emphasized political solutions, alongside the Kingdom’s readiness to address threats to its security and regional stability.
