Speaker Alban Bagbin, Ambassador Meshal Alrogi and Deputy Transport Minister Frederick Obeng Adom pose for the cameras during the occasion
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Ghana last week marked the 92nd national day of their country, occasion which was graced by dignitaries such as the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin and guests from all walks of life.
The National Day celebration, which fell on September 23, 2022, marks the 92nd anniversary of the unification and founding of the kingdom in 1932 by King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Faisal Al Saud.
The kingdom, since its formation, the Saudi Ambassador to Ghana Ambassador Meshal Alrogi said during his speech at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra last week, continues to make progress on all fronts on the same approach that the great king and his righteous sons walked after him, until it reached the remarkable height in our present prosperous era, the Era of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Saudi Arabia, he said, continues to support Ghana’s developmental projects in various forms. “The Saudi Fund for Development has collaborated with the Government of Ghana since its establishment in the 1975. This collaboration has since led to signing of agreements to support socio-economic and infrastructural development of the friendly Republic of Ghana in areas such as health, road, education and the energy sector.”
The establishment of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre in 2015 has undertaken a lot of humanitarian activities running into billions of dollars, he said.
He also acknowledged the annual provision of scholarships to Ghanaians to study in institutions in Saudi Arabia, this, he added, “offers opportunity for successful applicants to study in various specialisations spread across all levels from bachelors to master’s and PhD.”
On the issue of migration, the two countries are working through appropriate diplomatic channels to establish a suitable framework through which labour exchanges would be carried for the benefit of citizens of both countries, he announced.
A representative of government at the occasion, Deputy Minister for Transport, Frederick Obeng Adom, was full of praise for the wonderful gestures from Saudi Arabia towards Ghana in various spheres, mentioning especially the kingdom’s support for the rehabilitation of the Tema and Takoradi harbours for which he said Ghana is grateful, adding that the Islamic community especially has been beneficiary of the kindness of the kingdom.
Sheikh Ishak Nuamah, a popular Islamic scholar who also spoke at the occasion, emphasised the importance of ‘reading’, which as he said represents the basis of technology and civilisation. ‘Read’ or ‘Iqra’ as contained in the Holy Quran is about education, he said, as he praised the generosity of the Arabs pointing out that it is such gesture which had him study in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on scholarship.
He called on government to consider joining the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), the membership of which is opened to both Islamic and non-Islamic countries. Such membership, he said, is laden with varied advantages such as interest-free loans. Togo, he said, is a member although it is not an Islamic country.
By A.R. Gomda