By Aljohara Zarea

JEDDAH — The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been distinguished during its journey since its inception to the present day with distinct dates that created for it a unique glory that culminated in making the countries of the world to follow the Kingdom as an example of success and prosperity.

1 - The first of the Kingdom’s pages was written when the heart of the Arabian Peninsula was inhabited by an Arab tribe called Banu Hanifa in the Yamama region, which is now known as the Riyadh region.

2 - In 1446 AD, after about 1046 years, the Diriyah was founded by Prince Manie Al-Muraidi, whose lineage goes back to Banu Hanifa and is also known as one of the oldest ancestors of the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia.

Diriyah represented a prominent national symbol in the history of Saudi Arabia, as it was the first capital of the Kingdom, and it continued on being the base of the first Saudi State and the government' seat.

3 - 1727 AD, about two centuries after the Diriyah was founded by Prince Manie Al-Muraidi, Imam Muhammad Bin Saud came and established the first Saudi State, which, since its establishment, had a far-reaching effect in the change that occurred while extending its influence over most parts of the Arabian Peninsula in various fields of life, such as political, economic, social and cultural.

Imam Muhammad Bin Saud, meanwhile, died after his reign of the first Saudi State lasted 38 years between 1727-1765 AD after Diriyah became strong during his reign, in addition to giving it internal stability and firm rule.

4 - 1824 AD, the second Saudi State that was established by Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Al Saud the sixth ruler of the Al Saud family. It is noteworthy that Imam Turki was the one who decided that the city of Riyadh would be the capital of the Kingdom instead of Diriyah, and it has remained so since his decision until this day.

One of the most important events that occurred during the reign of Imam Turki was his restoration of most of the areas that belonged to the first Saudi State, and its governmental' system was similar to the first Saudi State in that it followed the Shariah, by taking the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah as the constitution of life.

Before the unification of Saudi Arabia, King Abdul Aziz stayed with his father in Kuwait with the support of Sheikh Mubarak Bin Sabah, trying to prepare a way to restore Riyadh, after he tried more than once to retrieve it.

King Abdul Aziz began his journey to Riyadh and his second attempt to restore it after leaving Kuwait in the first half of 1901 AD, continuing on his previous trips to reclaim Riyadh. Sheikh Mubarak had equipped him with some weapons and supplies, and he was accompanied on his trip by a number of his relatives and supporters.

5 – July 9, 1927 AD, is the day on which the Kingdom witnessed the launch of the Shoura Council and has been a functioning authority since then until this day. It was established during the reign of King Abdul Aziz when he announced the unification of Saudi Arabia, through which King Abdul Aziz sought to contribute to the enactment of the Kingdom’s systems.

The Shoura Council relies on Islamic Shariah as a constitution and a platform, and excludes everything that contradicts the Qur’an and Sunnah. One of the most important tasks of the Council is to discuss Saudi Arabia’s general plan for economic and social development and express an opinion about it, in addition to studying and explaining the international laws, regulations.

The current Shoura Council, which has been appointed for a period of four Hijri years, is considered the among the first councils in which women participate. On Jan. 11, 2013, King Abdullah issued a royal order to amend the system of the Shoura Council, where he asked to provide 150 members in the council, and that 20% of them at least should be women.

6 - 1932 AD, is the date of the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. King Abdul Aziz Al Saud announced the beginning of the stage of unification of the Kingdom after his restoration of the city of Riyadh, which in itself is one of the most important stages in its history after spending more than 20 years in wars to unify the Kingdom.

On Sept. 23, 1932 AD, a royal order was issued to unify the country in the name of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. King Abdul Aziz was able to realize great civilizational achievements, through which the Kingdom and its people witnessed wide successes in various fields of life.

The wisdom and courage of King Abdul Aziz in uniting the Kingdom was described by several people as one of the most wonderful stories of heroism. The rule of King Abdul Aziz as King of Saudi Arabia extended to 21 years, as he died on Nov. 9, 1935, while his rule extended since his restoration to rule the city of Riyadh to 52 years.

7 - March. 4, 1938 AD, is the date of the first successful oil exploration in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is known as the Black Gold. This success came after 5 years of fruitless attempts, which had begun on May 29, 1933. The journey to search for oil in Saudi Arabia began after King Abdul Aziz signed an agreement between the Kingdom and the California Arabian Standard Oil Company for Oil Exploration.

Dammam well No. 7 is the first fruit of the Kingdom’s successes in discovering oil, and it is the first oil well. The well produced on March 4, 1938 about 1,585 barrels per day. The total production of Dammam Well No. 7 amounted to 32 million barrels during the 45 years of continuous production.

It is noteworthy that the first shipment of crude oil was exported on board an oil tanker that was inaugurated by King Abdul Aziz on May 1, 1939.

8 - In 1953 AD, the first meeting of the Saudi Council of Ministers was held in Riyadh after King Abdul Aziz decided to establish it. On March 2, 1992, a document was issued proving the work of the Council of Ministers, where it was clarified that it aims to clarify the rights, duties and roles of the Saudi citizen and the Saudi family, in addition to the work mechanism of the King and the Crown Prince.

The Council of Ministers has several tasks, one of which is to review the applicable regulations and propose their amendment, in addition to their participation in government agencies to study and discuss the issues referred to the Commission from the High Court, the Council of Ministers or the Supreme Councils, as well as preparing and reviewing systems.

9 - 1972 AD, one of the most important stages in the Saudi economy, where its budget has witnessed a huge increase and remarkable development, causing a strong economic boom

The Kingdom’s oil revenues were estimated in 1972 at $3.89 billion, rising to $5.84 billion in 1973, and reaching their peak in 1981 to nearly $111 billion. This helped in the growth of various sectors in the Kingdom, including the economic sector, human resources, education and health sector, industrial and agricultural projects, infrastructure, in addition to providing multiple incentives for the private sector to expand in all available fields.

10- 25 April 2016 AD, is one of the most important dates in the Kingdom, which is the announcement of the launch of Vision 2030, which was launched by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, which comes to prepare previous, current and future generations for a bright, promising and ambitious future.

The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 comes as a reinforcer of the Kingdom’s national values and to contribute to its high position as a major driver for linking international trade, and through which it also aims to develop and diversify the economy and make it more sustainable.

During the previous six years since the launch of the vision, the Kingdom succeeded in achieving and creating tremendous opportunities that help raise the quality of citizens' life.

It has attracted many opportunities and harnessed all capabilities to achieve its high ambitions, such as creating opportunities for growth and investment, creating a number of new economic sectors, working on Increasing the government' effectiveness and responsiveness, the digital transformation and many more.

The rational government of the Kingdom under the leadership of King Salman and the Crown Prince is characterized by high ambition, in addition to its constant quest to achieve the best. These dates will not suffice to count what Saudi Arabia and its people have achieved in all its sectors.