<p> </p> <div align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:150%;border:none;"><b> </b></div> <div style=" text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;Times New Roman","serif";MS Mincho"">Your Excellency Tariq Alfayes, Charge’de affairs of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Maldives,</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"> </div> <div style=" text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;Times New Roman","serif";MS Mincho"">Ambassadors, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"> </div> <div style=" text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;Times New Roman","serif";MS Mincho"">Assalaamu Alaikum Warahmathullahi Wabarakaathuh</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"> </div> <div style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;Times New Roman","serif";MS Mincho"">At the outset, I wish to convey the greetings and good wishes of President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, and to extend the sincere gratitude of the President and First Lady for the warm hospitality accorded to them by His Majesty King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud and the Government of Saudi Arabia during their recent visit to Mecca to perform the Hajj Pilgrimage.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> </div> <div style=" text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;Times New Roman","serif";MS Mincho"">I would also like to take this opportunity to express warm felicitations to Your Excellency, the Government and the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia, on the joyous occasion of your 85th National Day, which was marked on the twenty third of September.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"> </div> <div style=" text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;Times New Roman","serif";MS Mincho"">As brothers in Islam, the Maldives and Saudi Arabia enjoy longstanding and close fraternal ties of friendship and cooperation. Indeed, the vivid imprint of Saudi cooperation is unmistakable in our socio economic development, in a number of fields ranging from infrastructure to education. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"> </div> <div style=" text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;Times New Roman","serif";MS Mincho"">I would therefore like to convey to the Government and fraternal people of Saudi Arabia, the heartfelt gratitude of the Maldivian people for the continued support and assistance extended towards the Maldives over the years. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"> </div> <div style=" text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;Times New Roman","serif";MS Mincho"">There have been many high points in Maldives-Saudi relations over the decades, marked by numerous high level visits and people to people exchanges at all levels. The Maldivian people join me in recalling with fondness the Official Visit of His Majesty King Salman, to our shores last year, which was an embodiment of the ties of brotherhood and profound relations that bond the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Maldives. We note with great respect and admiration the enormous advances the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has already achieved under the visionary leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, in various aspects of development. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"> </div> <div style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:18.0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;Times New Roman","serif";MS Mincho"">Once again, I wish to extend warm greetings and sincere good wishes to the Government and people of Saudi Arabia, on the happy occasion of your National Day. While reminiscing of our special friendship and </span><span style="font-size:14.0pt;Times New Roman","serif";MS Mincho"">‎</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;Times New Roman","serif";MS Mincho"">committing to a future of sustained and enhanced relations between </span><span style="font-size:14.0pt;Times New Roman","serif";MS Mincho"">‎</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;Times New Roman","serif";MS Mincho"">our two countries, I pray for the continued progress and prosperity of the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia, and for everlasting friendship and cooperation between our two Governments and peoples</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;Arial","sans-serif";MS Mincho"; color:#222222;background:white">.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:18.0pt;"> </div> <div style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:18.0pt;"> </div> <div align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:normal;background:white"><span dir="RTL" style="font-size:14.0pt;Arial","sans-serif";Times New Roman";MS Mincho";Times New Roman";color:#222222">والســّلام عليــكم ورحـمــة اللّـه وبـركاتـه</span></div> <div style=" text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;Times New Roman","serif";MS Mincho";color:#222222">Thank you!</span></div> <p> </p>
