Mohammed bin Salman used Saudi Arabia’s annual royal address to deliver two messages at once: Riyadh still wants diplomacy to contain a widening regional crisis, but it does not intend to leave doubts about how it would respond if the kingdom itself is targeted.
Speaking on behalf of King Salman at the opening of the third year of the Shoura Council’s ninth session on Wednesday, the crown prince moved from Gaza and Yemen to Gulf security, a new defense pact with Türkiye and Pakistan, and a decade of economic change under Vision 2030.
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| Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman delivers the annual royal address at the Shoura Council in Riyadh, addressing Gaza, regional security and Saudi Arabia’s domestic priorities. Photo: Saudi Press Agency. |
Gaza and the Palestinian question
On Gaza, Mohammed bin Salman condemned continuing attacks on Palestinians and repeated violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque, while restating Saudi Arabia’s support for Palestinian statehood.
“We call upon the international community, and the Security Council in particular, to play its expected role in reaching a lasting political solution,” he said.
He said the kingdom’s position on Palestinian rights remained unchanged and again backed the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in accordance with international law.
His remarks came as violence in Gaza continued. The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that Israeli strikes killed five Palestinians and wounded 19, amid a conflict that has continued despite a ceasefire framework agreed nearly a year earlier.
‘We will not hesitate’
The crown prince then turned to Saudi Arabia’s own security.
Recent attacks on Gulf states, he said, had reinforced what he called the “indivisibility of Gulf security and stability.” Riyadh would continue working to lower regional tensions and support diplomatic solutions, but not at the expense of its own security.
“We are exerting every possible effort to de-escalate tensions and support diplomatic solutions without the slightest compromise on preserving our security,” he said. “We will not hesitate to respond decisively to any threat or attack aimed at undermining it.”
That warning comes after another round of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. On September 26, the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two ballistic missiles headed toward Khamis Mushait and two drones launched toward Riyadh.
Mohammed bin Salman said Saudi Arabia would continue supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the coalition fighting the Houthis, whom Riyadh accuses of destabilizing Yemen and threatening the wider region.
A new layer of Saudi defense
The speech also placed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement firmly inside Saudi Arabia’s new security architecture.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the pact in August, agreeing that an armed attack on one of the three would be considered an attack on all. The agreement also calls for deeper military cooperation and collective deterrence.
Military chiefs from the three countries have since begun working on how the arrangement will function in practice, while the parties have moved toward creating a permanent institutional structure.
For Riyadh, the pact adds another layer to a security system that has long depended heavily on U.S. military power. Reuters reported this week that Gulf governments are increasingly exploring additional regional frameworks as the security environment around the Red Sea, Iran and Yemen becomes more fragmented.
Mohammed bin Salman described the Makkah pact as part of a wider effort to strengthen regional stability and coordination rather than as an alliance directed at a single country. Turkish officials have made the same argument, saying the agreement is defensive in nature.
Vision 2030 enters its final stretch
The second half of the speech moved from security to economics.
Mohammed bin Salman said 93 percent of the targets attached to Vision 2030 programs and strategies had been reached over the past decade. He also said Saudi non-oil exports had risen 155 percent compared with 2016, while the private sector’s share of the economy had reached 51 percent. Those figures were presented by the crown prince as measures of the transformation program’s progress.
He also pointed to a new five-year strategy for the Public Investment Fund focused on building domestic economic ecosystems, expanding partnerships with the private sector and increasing local content.
The speech gave artificial intelligence a prominent place too. Saudi Arabia designated 2026 as its Year of Artificial Intelligence, and the crown prince said the kingdom wants to use AI to raise productivity, improve public services and train Saudi workers.
One speech, two fronts
The address tied together two very different Saudi priorities.
Outside the kingdom, Riyadh is dealing with missile and drone attacks, the war in Yemen, instability around the Gulf and Red Sea, and the Palestinian issue. At home, it is nearing the final years of Vision 2030 and trying to show that economic diversification remains on track despite a far less predictable regional environment.
Mohammed bin Salman’s message was that the two tracks would continue together: diplomacy where Riyadh sees room for it, military deterrence where it sees a threat, and economic transformation without waiting for the region to become quieter.
Sources
- Arab News — Mohammed bin Salman’s September 30 annual royal address, including Gaza, Gulf security and Vision 2030 figures.
- Reuters — September 26 Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia.
- Reuters — Saudi-Türkiye-Pakistan Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
- Saudi government / SPA — official text on the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
- Associated Press — latest Gaza developments on September 30.