Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques patronizes Janadriya Festival

Crown Prince donates $2 million for Arabic language Program at UNESCO

Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz: King directs to deal with inflation

Prince Khalid bin Sultan chairs meeting for the council of Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah of Bahrain arrived in Riyadh to attend the 23rd National Festival for Heritage and Culture. At the airport, he was received by Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region, and other officials.

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah of Bahrain praised the National Festival for Heritage and Culture as a comprehensive Arab intellectual event. In a statement upon arrival to attend the Festival, the king said it attracts intellectuals from the Arab countries and the world.

He added that the festival enjoys a distinguished position in the Arab, Islamic and international cultural arenas.

Afterwards, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques received King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah of Bahrain and other guests of the kingdom.

After taking their seats at the main podium, the king and his guests heard recitation of some verses of the Holy Quran. Then, the first round of the Grand Camel Race began.

After the end of the first round of the race, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques handed prizes to the winners of the race. Gifts from Sheikh Khalifah bin Zayed Al Nahayan, United Arab Emirates President, and Minister of Tourism and Culture of Turkey Ertugrul Gunay were also handed to the winners.

Then, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, his guests and those attending performed maghreb (sunset) prayers.

After that, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the king of Bahrain graced the dinner held on this occasion.

Then the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud graced the grand speech and arts ceremony held at Al-Janadriya closed-door hall.

Addressing the gathering, Prince General Mit'eb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Assistant Deputy Commander of the National Guard for Military Affairs, who is also Deputy Chairman of the festival's organizing committee, paid tribute to the past quarter-century age of the Janadriya cultural festival, noting that the idea, originated by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has pinpointed its targets.

He said the once small village of Janadriya has turned to be a historic cultural city of the 21st century. The different folkloric and cultural performances found a paved way to the hearts of all people of the country, he said.

Moreover, Janadriya cultural festival was no longer a pure Saudi product as it became host of renowned regional and international works and personalities, he said.

He announced that this year's round will honor late Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdulmohsin Al-Tuwaijri and others.

Then the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud awarded late Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdulmohsen Al-Tuwaijri, Assistant Deputy Commander of the National Guard, who was also a prominent writer and literate, King Abdulaziz Sash Class I. The honor was received by his son Abdulmohsen bin Abdulaziz Al-Tuwaijri, Advisor to the King.

Addressing the gathering, Al-Tuwaijri said his father was honored dead and alive by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Also honored was Mohammed bin Abdullatif Jameel, a prominent Saudi businessman who managed to establish a number of projects and programs for the service of society in the name of his father.

Then the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey Ertugrul Gunay addressed the gathering on behalf of the guests of the festival.

The artistic performance was kicked off by an operetta, named "good omen" and authored by Prince Dr. Saad bin Saud bin Mohammed Al Saud.

In a kind parental gesture, the King ascended the theatre to greet the disabled participants and children, wishing them good health and every success. Then the other participants, including members of the band, producer and team, shook hands with the King.

Then the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud left the venue, receiving the same warm hospitality accorded to him when he first appeared to grace the festival.

The events were attended by Prince Mit'eb bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Badr bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Commander of the National Guard; Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Interior; Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince Miqren bin Abdulaziz, Chief of General Intelligence; other princes, senior guests, ministers, senior civil and military officials and a group of citizens.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received at his office in Al-Janadriya visiting Sheikh Hamid bin Zayed Al Nahayan, Head of the Court of the Heir Apparent of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Sheikh Hamid conveyed to the monarch the greetings of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, President of the United Arab Emirates. In turn, the King sent his greetings to the President.

The audience was attended by Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, Prince Mit'eb bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region; Prince Miqren bin Abdulaziz, Chief of General Intelligence; Prince Turki Al-Faisal; Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Advisor to the King; Price Mansour bin Nassir bin Abdulaziz, Advisor to the King; Prince Dr. Bandar bin Salman bin Mohammed Al Saud, Advisor to the King; Prince General Mit'eb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Assistant Deputy Commander of the National Guard for Military Affairs; and Abdulmohsen bin Abdulaziz Al-Tuwaijri, Advisor to the King.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received a phone call from the Palestinian National Authority president Mahmod Abbas in which they discussed the positions on the Palestinian arena, the brotherly relations between the two sides and the regional & international developments of common interests.

Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received at the Royal Court at Al-Yamamah Palace Saudi Ambassadors designated to a number of countries.

The Ambassadors included Ali bin Hassan Jaafar, designated to Russia; Yahya bin Abdulkareem Al-Zaid, designated to China; Ibrahim Abdullah, designated to Niger; Abdulaziz Al-Jammaz, designated Sri Lanka; Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Abdulkareem, designated to Albania; Ghazi bin Hassan Eid, designated to Gabon; and Abdulrahman Al-Hadlag, designated to Denmark.

During the audience, the Crown Prince sent his greetings to the leaders of these countries and urged the ambassadors to enhance relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and these countries.

The Crown Prince congratulated the ambassadors on the trust bestowed on them by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, wishing them all success in the performance of their duties and urging them to be the best ambassadors for their country.

The audience was attended by Prince Dr. Mishaal bin Abdullah bin Musaed, Adviser to the Crown Prince; and Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Hudaithi, Chief of the Court of the Crown Prince.

Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received at the Royal Court at Al-Yamamah Palace a number of princes, senior officials and a group of citizens who came to greet him.

Saudi Ambassador to France Dr. Mohammed bin Ismail Al Al-Sheikh today deposited a check of $ 2 million with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris as a donation from Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, for Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Program for Arabic language at UNESCO.

Earlier, the Crown Prince was deputed by Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General for Military Affairs, Vice Chairman of Board of Trustees of Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Charitable Foundation at inauguration ceremony of the Program established by the Foundation in cooperation with UNESCO through the Crown Prince's donation of $ 1.5 million in December, 2007.

At the ceremony, Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz said that the Crown Prince recognizes in his deep thought that education has no certain homeland or race, adding that the Crown Prince's interest in education has had a long history and his educational projects included various regions. He commended the contributions of the Crown Prince in support of education, announcing the Crown Prince's additional support for the Program by donating $ 2 million.

On his part, the Saudi Ambassador to France commended the support provided by the Crown Prince to UNESCO and his keenness on supporting its projects that will be reflected in the translation of researches, writings, minutes of meetings, and field reports in addition to launching a special page of the Program in Arabic on UNESCO site on the Internet.

Highlighting the importance of Riyadh-based Imam Mohammed bin Saud Islamic University, Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, the Interior Minister, said the university has been dedicating its efforts for the service of Islam and preaching the proper Islamic creed.

The university has attained so many achievements, but unfortunately there are some negative sides which can never be overlooked, he said adding that 'we wished some matters would not have occurred at this university, notably the existence of some extraneous ideas', he said.

Prince Naif hoped that the university would correct the false ideas. It is hoped that the university will graduate judges, Islamic scholars and callers who are capable of clarifying the Sunnah (the Prophet's teachings) and the proper Islamic teachings as well as defending Islam every where, he elaborated.

Prince Naif made these remarks here last night after patronizing, on behalf of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, the first forum on the Islamic call studies and a seminar on the translation of the Sunnah and the Prophet's biography.

Asked about the possibility of the involvement of some foreign quarters in the terror acts, Prince Naif said 'we are keen on providing the public opinion with the facts and all such matters will be announced at the suitable time, God willing, he said.

On the adverse impact of inflation and unemployment on the security, Prince Naif said 'undoubtedly these matters affect the citizens and residents, but there are certain authorities which are concerned with such matters, but I would not always like to say that these matters are the cause of the existence of persons of deviant ideas as well as the existence of terrorism and extremism', he said and added ' I hope the basic matters that affect the citizens and residents as well as the State's general economy will be tackled.

Prince Naif reiterated that the security and economic situation in the Kingdom is better that the situation in any other country despite the surrounding difficult circumstances as well as the existence of the great international turmoil at all domains.

Pointing out to the economic activity in the Kingdom, Prince Naif said the economic activity reflects the existing stable security conditions. He urged the businessmen and merchants to please Almighty Allah, and to avoid exploiting the international circumstances by illogically raising the prices of the commodities.

They should be aware of the fact that there is a state and a leadership which has been following up the situation, he said, adding that the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques has always been following up the situation.

Prince Naif said the incorrect matters should be corrected, and the Kingdom should remain one of the best countries of the world as regards stability and development, and the prices of the commodities should remain reasonable.

Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz , the Minister of Interior, received a certificate of Honorary Doctorate in the field of the service of Sunnah (the Prophet's teachings) and its Sciences.

The honorary doctorate for Prince Naif was approved by the Council of Imam Mohammed bin Saud Islamic University in recognition of his efforts in the service of the Prophet's Sunnah.

The Certificate was delivered to Prince Naif by Imam Mohammed bin Saud Islamic University's Director Dr Sulaiman Abal-Khail when Prince Naif was patronizing the opening session of first Forum on the Islamic Call Studies, organized by The Saudi Society for Islamic Call Studies.

Prince Naif patronized the forum on behalf of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz , The deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, and who is also the Chairman of the Supreme Islamic Affairs Council.

Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General for Military Affairs, who is the president of the council of Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water, chaired a meeting of the council.

In a statement at the beginning of the meeting, Prince Khalid highlighted the importance of the prize and the support given to it by Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General.

Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General for Military Affairs, who is the president of the council of Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water, highlighted the importance of the prize at a press conference.

In response to a question, Prince Khalid bin Sultan said shortage of water is an international problem, not only in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

We are planning to amend the prize to become four prizes to encourage people to work and conduct water research, he said.

He added that the annual prize amounts to $133,000 and was given away two times in the past. He said as many as 199 water researches have been presented so far.

In response to a question why Singapore was chosen as venue for this meeting, he said Singapore is a friendly country and an important one in the field of water.

Then Singapore's Prime Minister graced the dinner party held on the occasion. He was received at the venue by Prince Khalid bin Sultan, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General for Military Affairs.

Addressing the gathering during the party, Prince Khalid bin Sultan thanked the government and people of Singapore for warm welcome and generous hospitality and for the firm stance of Singapore beside Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during the 1991 Gulf war.

"Your excellence in numerous fields is a source of respect of the word for your abilities and good planning and determination to achieve excellence", Prince Khalid said.

He also cited Singapore's economic record progress, particularly the increase of income per capital which now equaled EU four major financial powers and became East Asia's first financial and technological center.

Prince Khalid bin Sultan cast light on the danger of scarcity of water throughout the world. He said the problem raises the importance of scientific research and wise management of water resources. Strenuous effort today is better than future fight on a drop of water, he said, adding that water security is an integral part of national security.

He lauded UNESCO for announcing the celebrations of this year under the title "Geo-science in the service of society". He said ten fields were announced as principles that need the effort of scientists, most important of which is the geo-water, oceans and water resources, the targets of Prince Sultan International Prize for Water.

He said the prize's four fields tackle surface water, artesian, alternative non-classical water resources and management of water resources in addition to innovation prize which will be awarded to genuine and economically-feasible and environment-applicable works in the fields of water.

He disclosed that the prize's organizing committee has received more than 200 competitive works, out of which 77 for innovation prize coming from 53 countries and prominent universities and institutions.