RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Wednesday that the Kingdom would respond “decisively” to any threat or attack against its security, while stressing that Riyadh would continue working to reduce regional tensions and support diplomatic solutions.

“We will not hesitate to respond decisively to any threat or aggression aimed at undermining the security of our country,” the Crown Prince said in the annual royal address to the Shura Council in Riyadh, delivered on behalf of King Salman.

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MBS said Saudi Arabia was making every effort to de-escalate tensions and support diplomatic solutions without compromising its security, and praised the Kingdom’s forces for confronting threats.

He said recent attacks against Gulf countries had demonstrated that Gulf security was “indivisible,” adding that Saudi Arabia possessed highly capable military and human resources able to deter threats regardless of their source.

The Crown Prince also said the Mecca Defense Alliance would contribute to strengthening security and stability in the region, while stressing Riyadh’s pursuit of strategic cooperation and economic integration among Gulf states.

His remarks come amid heightened regional tensions, including renewed attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militia against Saudi Arabia and threats to maritime traffic in some of the world’s most important shipping routes.

Energy and maritime security
Turning to the global energy crisis, MBS described Saudi Arabia as a safeguard for global energy security and said the Kingdom had demonstrated its ability to maintain oil supplies to international markets despite the regional escalation.

“The world today is facing an energy crisis with open-ended possibilities,” he said.

The Crown Prince rejected the use of international waterways as tools for political or economic pressure, an issue that has taken on greater urgency amid disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb.

The two waterways are critical arteries for global trade and energy shipments. Disruptions have contributed to higher shipping and insurance costs and intensified concerns over global energy supplies.

Yemen and Palestine
On Yemen, MBS accused the Houthis of choosing “chaos, destruction and threatening Yemenis and the region” and reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s comprehensive support for the internationally recognized Yemeni government in extending its authority across the country.

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The comments follow an escalation in Houthi attacks against Saudi territory and infrastructure in recent weeks.

On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Crown Prince condemned the “brutal attacks” by Israeli authorities against Palestinians.

He said Saudi Arabia’s commitment to the Palestinian people’s rights remained an “unwavering position” and pledged that the Kingdom would continue its efforts until Palestinians secured their rights and established their own state.

Saudi Arabia has long maintained that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is central to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

MBS also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s support for Sudan’s unity and the preservation of its legitimate state institutions amid the continuing conflict there.

Vision 2030
The Crown Prince used the annual address to highlight Saudi Arabia’s domestic economic transformation under Vision 2030, saying performance indicators for the Kingdom’s programs and strategies had achieved 93 percent of their targets.

He said the private sector’s contribution to the economy had risen to 51 percent, while non-oil exports had increased by 155 percent compared with 2016, the year Vision 2030 was launched.

Prince Mohammed delivered the address as he opened the third year of the Shura Council’s ninth session. The annual royal address sets out the Kingdom’s domestic and foreign policy priorities and serves as a reference for the council’s legislative and oversight work.