On 20 September at the Marinella Sofia Hotel, H. E. Mr. Khaled bin Kamal Faqeeh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Republic of Bulgaria,

gave a reception on the occasion of the country's National Day.

After listening to the anthems of the two countries, His Excellency made a welcoming speech:

In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful

Your Excellencies, Heads of Missions, Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests:

Peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.

It is my honor to meet you on this happy occasion and to welcome all our distinguished guests to the ninety-third Saudi National Day.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, specifically in 1932, the founder of the country and the builder of its renaissance, His Majesty King Abdulaziz Al Saud, unified the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and made it a great country with great mission, achievements, and regional and international power.

God chose kings for this country from among King Abdul-Aziz’s righteous sons, who completed his path with their incredible political acumen. Carrying the banner of renaissance and development they strengthened the Kingdom's position on the global map and brought to its citizens prosperity and outstanding achievements

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s reign, marked a new era and a renewed vision for the country formulated by His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Muhammad bin Salman, and endorsed by the King himself. This insightful vision was far ahead of his time and led to the Kingdom’s assumption of the presidency of the (G20) in 2019.

Vision 2030 is a new stage for the Saudi state, and I would like to quote His Highness the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, may God protect him, when he said:

(Success stories always begin with a vision, and the most successful visions are those that are built on strengths)

Our strengths are as follows:

       - The blessed homeland, in which the Two Holy Mosques are located, the purest place on earth, and the qibla, toward which more than a billion Muslims turn each day when performing their prayers. This is our Arabic and Islamic identity and it is our first success factor.

       - Our second success factor is the huge investment capabilities.

       - The third factor for our success is the strategic location of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has made it a gateway to the world and a bridge between three continents.

Let us not forget the ambitious young people, whom Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman considers the ultimate resource of the country.

With these unique ingredients, His Highness plans to transform the Public Investment Fund in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia into the largest sovereign fund in the world.

The Crown Prince fulfilled his promises and now we are witnessing successive achievements and giant projects such as the NEOM project, The King Salman Energy Park project, the Middle East Green Initiative, the Qiddiya project, the Sakaka solar project, the Line project, and many others.

On this special day, I would like to extend to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and his Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Muhammad bin Salman, my warmest and sincere congratulations on the occasion of the ninety-third Saudi National Day. We ask the Lord Almighty to perpetuate the blessing of security, and prosperity for all of us.

The embassy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Bulgaria is an extension of the vision of His Highness the Crown Prince, as I and all my colleagues seek to build bridges of cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the friendly Republic of Bulgaria at all levels.

On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, I extend my thanks to H.E Rumen Radev, the president of the Republic of Bulgaria for the support he provides to build strong ties between our two countries.

In conclusion, I would like to thank Your Excellencies, the heads of missions of brotherly and friendly countries for your participation in our ninety-third National Day, and I wish you a happy time.

May God’s Peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you!

The reception was attended by numerous guests: offcials, ambassadors, politicians, journalists, cultural figures and friends of Saudi Arabia. Upon entering, each of them received a gift from the gracious hosts - a scarf with the color of the country's flag and an inscription from the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Sofia. This gesture of attention seemed to create the feeling of togetherness of the celebration. The guests watched with interest the footage of the country on the video wall, showing the achievements of its people and the beauty of its nature. They tasted the unique Arabic coffee and enjoyed the excellent specialties of Arabic cuisine.

The photos are provided by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Bulgaria.