The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrates its 77th Anniversary Wednesday.

Relations between the Philippines and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have remained robust. The two countries share common interests in international and multilateral organizations and have stood on the same side on many issues in the United Nations and other international forums.

Saudi Arabia, through its membership in the Organization of the Islamic Conference Ministerial Committee of Six, which facilitated the forging of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines-Moro National Liberation Front (GRP-MNLF) Peace Agreement, has been a supporter of peace and development in Southern Philippines.

Saudi Arabia is the second biggest employer of Filipinos, the second home of around 1.2 million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). The government of Saudi Arabia provides scholarship grants to Muslim students of Mindanao. It also gives financial assistance for the construction of schools and Islamic centers all over the country and provides support for Filipino pilgrims to Hajj and Umrah.

Mosques, orphanages, and medical clinics for the poor have been established through public and private sector groups in the kingdom.

Last October, the Third Meeting of the Philippines-Saudi Arabia Joint Commission was held in Manila. The two-day session covered a wide range of subjects concerning matters affecting overseas Filipino workers in Saudi, the establishment of Philippine remittance centers in Saudi Arabia and the early conclusion of a Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement.

Measures to expand trade and investment were discussed, along with technical cooperation to help develop Islamic banking in the Philippines and the scheduling of tax treaty negotiations this year.

We congratulate the government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia led by His Majesty, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, and its Embassy in the Philippines, headed by H. E., Ambassador Mohammed Ameen Wali, on the occasion of the 77th Anniversary of their National Day.