In a televised interview with Future Television's Paula Yacoubian, Saad Al Hariri re-confirmed his resignation from his position as Lebanon's Prime Minister.
He also stressed that he is not under arrest by the Saudi regime and will be returning to Lebanon within days.
The interview, which was announced early on Sunday, comes just over a week after Al Hariri's shock resignation from Riyadh.
Soon after the interview was announced, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Al Hariri's freedom was being restricted in Riyadh.
According to Aoun, the "mysterious circumstances" under which Al Hariri is currently being held, throw doubt "over anything that Hariri has said, or will say, and his statements could not be considered as an expression of his full free will".
Several major Lebanese TV channels including Lebanon's government-owned Télé Liban didn't broadcast the live interview.
It was also reported that Future TV and MTV, channels who did broadcast the interview, were blocked in several areas across the country.
This is the first official media appearance Al Hariri has made since last Saturday.
Here are a few of the major statements he made:
1. "My resignation is for the benefit of Lebanon and Lebanese"
In one of the first statements he made during the live interview, Al Hariri re-confirmed his resignation and responded to a question about the reason behind it, saying:
"I resigned because this is what's best for Lebanon and the Lebanese people."
He also added that his resignation was his own decision, dismissing reports that he was forced to quit a unity government with Hezbollah.
When Yacoubian stated that his resignation has not been officially accepted by the country's President and people, he replied:
"I understand that my resignation violated Lebanon's constitution and this is why I will correct things very soon and travel to Lebanon in order to submit an official one."
Al Hariri also thanked everyone who has been calling on him to return to Lebanon and promised the public that he will be back in the country in a matter of days.
2. "I am not against Hezbollah as a political party"
Early on in the interview, Al Hariri said that he isn't opposed to Hezbollah as a political party.
However, he stressed that this doesn't mean the party has the right to destroy Lebanon, citing their allying with Iran.
"We don't want to get in conflict with Iran, but we also don't want to associate ourselves with conflicts in the region," he added.
Al Hariri also directed a question at Hezbollah's leaders, saying: "Is it in Lebanon's favor to destroy relationships with regional and international countries or to protect them?"
3. "I am not under arrest"
When asked about news reports and leading Lebanese political figures claiming that he was placed under house arrest in Saudi Arabia, Al Hariri replied by saying that he's free to travel anytime he wants.
"My return to Lebanon is a matter of days, not weeks of months. I am free to return whenever I want to but I am choosing to delay my return for security reasons," he said.
He also added that his relationship with both King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is "excellent".
4. "I resigned the way I did to create a positive shock"
The term "positive shock" was repeated several times during the interview, used by Al Hariri to describe the aims behind his resignation.
"My resignation came in order to create a positive shock in Lebanon," he repeatedly said.
5. "I might take my resignation back if all Lebanese parties agree to be neutral on issues in the region"
During the interview, Al Hariri said that he would only consider back-tracking on his resignation if all Lebanese political parties, including Hezbollah, agreed to disassociate themselves from conflicts in the region.
If not, Al Hariri said he would go ahead with his resignation, opening a way for the next political steps to take place in Lebanon.
6. "I highly value my relationship with President Aoun"
When asked to send a message to Lebanon's President Michel Aoun, Al Hariri said:
"I highly value my relationship with President Aoun. He is a truly loving man and my relationship with him was built on honesty and trust."
7. There will be no war on Lebanon and elections will not be delayed
Towards the end of the interview, Al Hariri reiterated a point he had made earlier saying that no war will be waged on Lebanon.
He added that Saudi Arabia only wants stability in the country.
Al Hariri also stressed that Lebanon's long-postponed elections will still go ahead as planned despite his resignation.
Live social media reactions to the interview
The highly-awaited interview created a social media frenzy, with people in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and several other Arab countries live-tweeting their reactions to it...
Many weren't buying into Al Hariri's statements
"How are you able to lie to yourself this way?"
"Every statement you make from Riyadh is a lie, until we hear you make it in Beirut"
People had many questions...
Some thought Al Hariri is making statements under pressure
"Whatever the reason may be, his emotions clearly reflect the stress he's living under."