• We all remember how Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was asked in a television interview about what will happen after 2030, and he replied with clarity, determination and decisiveness: 2040

The balance of today’s world lacks justice in matters relating to values of meaning, and is no longer able to guide decision-makers with roadmaps that guarantee salvation.

We are no longer in the 19th century when the world was just a huge theory, and its struggles were mere skirmishes looking for an idea to stop them. We are not at the dawn of the 21st century when wise historian and philosopher William James Durant wrote the first lines of his important book “The Story of Civilization” and established the centrality of the new Western civilization with a book that tells a comprehensive story. And we are certainly past the 14th century’s ideas when Arab scientist Ibn Khaldun focused on contemplating the conditions and abilities of individuals and communities at the forefront of his journey and genius theory of the world.

It is our reality, our modern world, the story of which has not been written yet — it is a world that has been preoccupied with conflicts and tensions about who can stand alone in telling its story, and can mobilize all doubts, ideas, and the most famous traditional and unconventional consciousness weapons, and the fast pace of the world’s cycles left it puzzled. It stumbled behind positions of influence that shortly turned out to be serving goals that contradict the purpose of their existence.

The world concluded its last century with the horrors of two world wars and a long Cold War, and it inaugurated its new century with new horrors and pandemics that it is still facing, let alone learning from them. The lack of its balance does not need the examination of experts; reading its newspapers and monitoring its maps foretell that the traditional circles of influence have been replaced by centers and individuals competing in narrow-mindedness and limited effectiveness, after successive communication revolutions increased the momentum of interaction at the expense of the quality of ideas, and the intensity of communication at the expense of infinitely short attention that does not exceed a few seconds before it is forgotten. Therefore, it tries to spread its messages through influencers who soon realize that the future risks of carrying the message are greater than its absence.

I look at my country as it comes close to reaching a century of its third state, and three centuries since laying the first brick to found the first state, then read the best of stories, that of true heroism, self-made and faithful people, immortal souls of men and women who found a way to address history by building a state on the most noble place and under the most precious sky.

The legendary journey that the late King Abdulaziz made to unite every inch of the Kingdom, year after year, was the greatest inspiration for our generations, and for the modern world, about what it means to build a great entity and devote a lifetime to preserving, developing and defending it. It tells the story of the impact of a truth and an innate nature written with the blood and sweat of elite men and women who knew that the certitude of the homeland and the security of its walls were the best things that one generation can hand over to the next.

Ninety-two years later, the new lines of the story have acquired a modern brilliance, and the first lines have become more immortal and deep-rooted. It is the story of a new civilization that is summarized on school and university desks, in the corridors of offices and workplaces, in the structures of institutions and companies, in the melody of exposure, and the colors of the arts. It is the self-embodied green flag, the symbol of the value of Saudi immortality in the hearts of its citizens and friends, and the certainty of influence that is not tainted by temporary doubts.

I look at my country from the other side of the world, where we share the values of long-standing cultures, action frameworks and close loyalty, inspired by its story that sincere work and an evident mission are the driving force, amid the suspicions of the volatile changes in the world, and that the green flag that is fluttering in the skies and above the tops of decision-making centers is the most reliable guarantee for the roadmap that my country offers to the world every day. From the platform of the Saudi Embassy in Tokyo where the 92nd National Day is celebrated, I have seen how friends flock in exceptional circumstances to attend the celebration of the country that has a beneficial impact throughout its seasons and days.

It is the wisdom inspired by our homeland on the day of its unity; the wisdom to work hard every day to achieve the objectives and dreams of tomorrow, the absolute faith in oneself, the loyalty that can only be contained in the homeland’s borders and aspirations, and the prosperity and joint action by friends, no matter where they are. It is its immortal story about the constant struggle to build and the great pride in the values and achievements of the past, along with its vision of the future and goals. It is the story of investing in tangible, healthy, and real impact ignited by a person’s talent, and by the authenticity of institutions and the deep-rootedness of the present and history. It is the Saudi wisdom that we read in the immortal biography of its great founder, that we hear in the words of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, and that is told by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s powerful talks. We all remember how he was asked in a television interview about what will happen after 2030, and he replied with clarity, determination and decisiveness: 2040.

• Nayef bin Marzouq Al-Fahadi is Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Japan