Mr Mohammed Ismaeil A. Dahlwy, ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wrote to Việt Nam News on the country’s unification day.

Every year, on September 23, Saudi Arabia enthusiastically commemorates its historic unification by the late King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud - a moment of immense significance in our nation's rich history, celebrated with great joy and pride.

As the Saudi Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam, it is with great pride and honour that I pen this article to commemorate the National Day of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a day of profound importance for our nation. This year, our celebration is marked by the inspiring theme, "We Dream and We Achieve", a testament to our unwavering commitment to progress and the realisation of our visionary goals.

Our commitment to progress is embodied by the visionary Saudi Vision 2030, spearheaded by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. This comprehensive strategy aims to transform our nation by diversifying the economy, promoting tourism, and investing in key sectors like technology, entertainment, and renewable energy.

Diriyah, the home of the At-Turaif UNESCO World Heritage Site, the birthplace of the Kingdom, located in Riyadh, capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Photo Courtesy of the embassy

The Kingdom announced and hosted several initiatives such as the Saudi Green Initiative, the Middle East Green Initiative, the Future Investment Initiative, the Global Artificial Intelligence summit and many others activities, and Saudi Arabia is eager to host World EXPO 2030 in Riyadh, themed “The Era of Change: Leading the Planet to a Foresighted Tomorrow.”

"We Dream and We Achieve" is more than a slogan; it encapsulates our unwavering determination to achieve economic, social, and cultural growth. The visionary projects NEOM, The Line, Qiddiya, The Red Sea, Roshen, Diriyah, Amaala and many other futuristic projects stand as a testament to our commitment to innovation and sustainable development, aligning seamlessly with our theme of turning dreams into reality.

Likewise, Việt Nam has also turned many of its dreams into reality, and is continuing to achieve greater dreams. Like how the late President Hồ Chí Minh, as a young patriot, decided to go abroad to seek ways to salvage his nation, then along with the Vietnamese people gradually realized the dream of fatherland liberation. Since then, Việt Nam, from a country born in hardship suffering from a famine that claimed the lives of more than two million people, has been rising like a lotus flower to be among the top five largest economies in Southeast Asia.

Despite global uncertainty after the Covid-19 pandemic, Saudi Arabia and Việt Nam have rebounded strongly and accomplished significant achievements, particularly in 2022. Saudi Arabia’s GDP, under the massive transformative agenda of vision 2030, was the fastest growing G20 economy in 2022. Overall growth reached 8.7%. Likewise, Việt Nam, for the first time, recorded a GDP of more than US$400 billion, up 8.02% on a yearly basis.

Over the past 24 years, Saudi Arabia and Việt Nam have built a strong, friendly and cooperative relationship to become important regional partners of each other. The bilateral relation between the two countries, in recent times, has been increasingly consolidated, and has seen greater progress than ever before. The two countries frequently exchange support at international and multilateral forums. The two-way trade turnover between the two countries has recorded impressive growth, reaching US$2.7 billion in 2022, up 32.4% on a yearly basis. More Saudi enterprises have paid attention to the Vietnamese market, and more Vietnamese firms have sought opportunities to expand their business to Saudi Arabia.

THE LINE, futuristic city in NEOM – Saudi Arabia, a revolutionary concept in urban living that prioritises people and nature, creating a new urban sustainability model based entirely on renewable energy. In line with the Kingdom’s sustainability goals, the linear city conserves 95% of its land as a nature reserve. Photo Courtesy of the embassy

In addition, exchanges of delegations at all levels between the two countries have also been strengthened over the past period, and the Saudi-Vietnamese relationship holds immense promise. We deeply appreciate the warm cooperation between our two nations, and we eagerly anticipate further collaboration in areas such as trade, education, and cultural exchange. Our shared values of friendship and mutual respect serve as a strong foundation for our growing partnership, where dreams can be realised through collaboration. VNS