Princess Hussa bint Salman hails role of Saudi women in nation building

RIYADH: Princess Hussa bint Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, in her keynote address at the Yamamah University, hailed the achievements of Saudi women in various fields and their role in building the nation.

Following is the text of her speech:
In the name of God, Most Gracious and Most Merciful
Thanks to God and Praise and Peace upon His Messenger
Welcome to you all in Yamamah, the University and the land. It was from here that the march was launched to establish a united, powerful homeland, which bases its future on its values and culture, furthered by God’s will, first and foremost and secondly by the arms and minds of its sons and daughters.
I feel very proud to stand here tonight: Proud of the daughters of our homeland, proud of our pioneering educational establishments and proud of the success and achievements that have become the characteristics of Saudi women. They present to their country and the world, an admirable example in giving and effectiveness in their fields and in the future of their country.
Saudi women have been present and effective from the start and continue to be so in all fields, with gradual steps, appropriate to each stage of our social and economic development. Through their distinctive presence, women have played an effective role in building our country, in partnership with the national development approach, thereby consolidating their positions in academia and many other fields, such as information, engineering, research, medicine, management, business entrepreneurship and the higher echelons of government posts. It is with great pride that we revere our world-renowned, Saudi women role models.
Here, at Yamamah University, specializations abound, such as in engineering, business management, marketing, information technology, insurance, and law and regulations. Yes, laws and regulations; the need for this specialization increases every day and women graduates need increasing support and professional training opportunities, in order to ensure the privacy, security and realistic practice of their jobs, in a structured and positive atmosphere. These consolidate the developing reality for Saudi women and provide our work market with a spectrum of skilled women graduates, ready to start the journey to build themselves, their careers and their homeland, alongside their brothers, fathers and sons, making whole our society.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, God preserve him, raised my brothers and me to recognize that knowledge is the first building block; it knows no discrimination and no limit. Reading and research are the tools to build the self, as well as society, and women’s role in society, and their right to knowledge and education that are basic and natural, to enable them to shoulder their responsibilities in the workplace and in our development.
The positive changes that our country witnesses today have, thank God, made it all the stronger and more effective; a country which draws its strength from God Almighty and from the strength of its sons and daughters, to confront challenges and forge its future. Saudi Vision 2030, the launch of which we all saw last Monday, has Saudi women and men at its center, and makes knowledge, education and skills the means of achieving its goal. It is a vision that invests in our strengths, making them the building blocks for the foundation of our present and future.
Dear all and esteemed graduates, this is our homeland, with its diversity, its glory and its dreams, investing in its daughters and announcing its great expectations of the achievements to come. Come out to the future with your dreams and your ambitions and fill the country with certainty. Cherish your parents’ gratitude, prayers and love, so that the sun of this country might shine in all our spirits, as we give it every moment, every smile and every hope.
Standing here in front of these ambitious faces, I feel confident about our future. I see in the features of my graduating sisters, and hear in their voices, determination, pride and optimism. Thanks are therefore, due to this university, to all who have contributed toward this moment from the enrollment of these young women in this educational edifice, up to the Graduation Ceremony. All thanks to the Chair of the Board of Directors, His Excellency the Rector of the University, the Deans of the various colleges, the Vice Deans and the honorable members of the academic staff, men and women alike. Applause and thanks also to every family that tonight celebrates the success and distinction of their daughter! In a country that realizes the ambitions of its sons and daughters, the future is secure and prosperous, under the auspices and the leadership of His Majesty, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, his Heir to the Throne, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdulaziz and the Deputy to the Heir, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman, God preserve them.
Under God’s care and blessings, we urge the march toward a bright, strong future for a country proud of its sons and daughters. May God preserve our homeland now and for ever and may He protect our security and prosperity.
God’s peace, blessings and mercy be upon you all!