Riyadh: The global 'Messengers of Peace' initiative, backed by Saudi Arabia, launched new projects for its second phase at the Ministry of Education's headquarters in Riyadh on Sunday. Minister of Education and President of the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association Yousef Al-Benyan, and Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg and board member of the World Scout Foundation Prince Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie attended the launch ceremony, alongside many princes, ministers, global scout leaders and decision-makers, and a wide range of experts and enthusiasts from Saudi Arabia and beyond.
According to Saudi Press Agency, in his opening remarks, Al-Benyan welcomed Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg and all partners in the World Scouting, along with the Messengers of Peace heroes. He affirmed that Saudi Arabia, with the continued support of its leadership, remains a key partner in advancing the message of peace and sustainable development toward a safer, more humane world for future generations.
Meanwhile, Prince Guillaume highlighted the Saudi Vision 2030 objective to empower youth, affirming that scouting plays a vital role in this endeavor, promoting volunteerism, equipping young people with life skills, and supporting community service. He also expressed his gratitude to the Kingdom for its generous financial contribution to the initiative, which, during its first phase, supported over one million scout groups worldwide, 16 million local projects, and 32 million volunteers, bringing the total number of Scouts today to 60 million.
Prince Guillaume praised Saudi Arabia's ongoing commitment to the scouting movement and to a second phase of the initiative, which aims to inspire youth and help them realize their hopes and dreams in a more peaceful world.