June 23, 2006

THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES IN THE PRESENCE OF THE CROWN PATRONIZES THE INAUGURATION OF THE NEW HEADQUARTERS OF AL MADINAH GOVERNORATE, THE CHILDREN'S AND MATERNITY HOSPITAL, TAIBAH UNIVERSITY CITY, THE NATIONAL GUARD HOSPITAL AND AL RASHID TRADE CENTER. PRINCE ABDUL AZIZ IBN MAJID IBN ABDUL AZIZ: THE MADINAH-BASED ECONOMIC KNOWLEDGE CITY WILL CONTRIBUTE TO SETTING UP AN ECONOMIC ENTITY WITH AN INVESTMENT OF SR 25 BILLION ALONG WITH THE CREATION OF 20,000 JOBS. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz opened a number of developmental projects and laid the foundation stone of others during his visit to Al Madinah Al Munawarah Among the projects launched were the expansions of the eastern parks and shades of the Prophet's mosque; the new headquarters of Al Madinah Region Governorate; and phase I of Taiba university projects. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques also laid the foundation stone of phase II of the university's city for both males and females; training units of the General Establishment for Technical Education and Vocational Training; and Al-Rashid Mega Mall. King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz arrived in Madinah from the central region of Qasim on the seventh leg of a national tour that has taken him to Jubail, Al Khobar, Qatif, Ahsa and Hail. King Abdullah arrived in Madinah after launching a number of educational, manpower training, housing and infrastructure projects including a university campus in the central region of Qasim, 400km north of Riyadh on Friday. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz Interior Minister, Prince Khaled Ibn Faisal, Deputy Commander of the National Guard for the Western Region, and other top officials, received the King at Madinah Airport. King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz also launched the Taiba University campus project that includes the establishment of a 400-bed university hospital and five colleges for dentistry, pharmacology, applied sciences, computer engineering, and science. He opened the first phase of Taiba University City, which includes academic, classroom and laboratory buildings, information technology centre, chemical warehouse building, in addition to infrastructure projects such as roads, water and sewage networks. The King laid the foundation stone for the second phase of the university city. It includes 17 projects, such as a 400-bed university hospital, faculties of dental, pharmacy and applied medical sciences. The second phase also includes construction of classroom and administrative buildings, conference hall, laboratories, maintenance workshops, as well as installation of computer networks. These phases are estimated to cost SR1.04 billion. The King also opened the Children's and Maternity Hospital and laid foundation stone for the medical city. The King opened a 500-bed maternity and children's hospital and the new headquarters of the Madinah Governorate and laid the foundation stone for the 200-bed National Guard Hospital. The maternity and children's hospital, the largest such facility in Madinah, was built at a cost of SR447 million. Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie said his ministry planned to establish new hospitals and health centres across the country to extend better health care for citizens and residents. Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeea, Director General of Health Affairs at the National Guard, said the new National Guard Hospital in Madinah would have specialty clinics for internal medicine, heart diseases, paediatrics, maternity, ophthalmology and dentistry. Madinah Governor Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Majid Ibn Abdul Aziz said the King's visit to Madinah reflected the special place it has in the hearts of the Saudi leadership. He also commended the King for making necessary financial allocations for the expansion of the Prophet's Mosque, the second holiest mosque in Islam, and for his efforts to enhance the facilities and welfare of both citizens and pilgrims. King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz visited the Prophet's Mosque to offer prayers and pay respect to the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and his caliphs. He later attended a reception held by the people of Madinah. More than 30,000 people took part in the ceremony that included an opera staged by about 2,000 artists. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz patronized the ceremony of inaugurating Madinah region governorate building (Amarah Building), hospital of women, delivery and children and first phase of university city at Taibah university and laying foundation stones of second phase of the university city, national guard hospital and Al-Rashid mega mall. The ceremony was attended by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General. Upon arrival at the venue, the Monarch was received by Prince Khalid Ibn Faisal Ibn Turki Al Saud, Under Secretary of national guard in the western sector; Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Majid Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Madinah region; Minister of Higher Education Dr. Khalid Ibn Mohammed Al-Anqari; Minister of Health Hamad Ibn Abdullah Al-Manie and a number of officials. After the national anthem, a little girl and a boy presented the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques with two bouquets of flowers. The King then unveiled the memorial plaque hence inaugurating the Madinah Region emirate building. He was then briefed with the help of a model on different parts of the building. With the help of a model of the National Guard Hospital project in Madina, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabea, Executive Director General of Health Affairs in the National Guard and officials of the project briefed the Monarch on it. King Abdullah and the Crown Prince received commemorative gifts on the occasion. At the ceremony the King expressed in written remarks his pleasure over the projects to be added to other landmarks and achievements in Madinah and congratulated the citizens on these projects, hoping that they will benefit from them. A speech ceremony was held on this occasion. In his speech, Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Majid Ibn Abdul Aziz noted the royal order to establish Madinah-based economic knowledge city supported by King Abdullah foundation for his parents for developmental housing that will contribute to setting up an economic entity with an investment of SR 25 Billion along with the creation of 20,000 jobs. Addressing the ceremony, the Executive Director General for Health Affairs at the National Guard Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabiah expressed his thanks to and appreciation of the King and the Crown Prince for patronizing this project and other health ones of the National Guard. In another speech, Dr. Khalid Ibn Mohammed Al-Anqari, the Minister of Higher Education praised the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince for supporting Taibah University and other universities in the kingdom. On his part, Dr. Hamad Abdullah Al Manie, the Minister of Health announced the King's approval of increasing beds at Madinah-based Specialist Hospital from 300 to 500, thanking the King and the Crown Prince on the occasion of inaugurating Hospital of Women, Delivery and Children and laying foundation stones of Psychiatric Health and Specialist Hospital at a cost of more than SR 800 million. Using a model for the medical city, Dr. Hamad Ibn Abdullah Al-Manie, Minister of Health briefed the Monarch and the Crown Prince on the projects of the medical city including the Mental Health and Anti-addiction, Gynecology and Maternity and the Specialist hospitals as well as the College of Health Sciences for girls and boys. Following this, Dr. Mansoor Al-Nuzha, Rector of Taiba University briefed King Abdullah on the first and second stage projects of the university with the help of a model and pictures. The officials of Al-Rashed Mega-mall briefed the Monarch on its different parts. The ceremony was also attended by Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior; a number of princes; ministers and officials. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received Ulama, Sheikhs, senior officials and groups of citizens who came to greet and congratulate him on safe arrival. They all listened to a recitation of verses of the Holy Quran along with their interpretation. Secretary General of the Madinah-based King Fahd Printing Complex Mohammad Ibn Salem Al-Offi, then delivered a speech in which he welcomed King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, thanking him for opening a large number of development projects all over the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He prayed to Allah Almighty to grant paradise to the late King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, who had implemented several projects that have become a source of admiration for all Muslims throughout the world. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah laid the foundation stone for the SR25 billion project of the Kingdom's third mega economic city. It is expected to create more than 20,000 new jobs. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz also announced that Prince Muhammad Ibn Abdul Aziz Airport in Madinah had been converted into an international airport. The change was made because of Madinah's significant role in the Islamic world and the growing number of pilgrims who visit the city every year. The new Knowledge Economic City in Madinah is composed of the Taiba Technological and Economic Information Centre, an interactive museum on the Prophet's life, a centre for studies of Islamic civilization, and another centre for medical studies, biosciences and integrated medical services. King Abdullah issued the license to a group of investors to carry out the project that also includes housing for 200,000 as well as commercial centres. The main investors include the King Abdullah Foundation, Savola Group, Real Estate Projects Management and Development Company and Taiba Investment & Real Estate Development Company. Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) is the main developer of the project. Last December, the King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh, near Jeddah, which is expected to draw SR100 billion in investment was launched. The King laid the foundation for the second city, Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Musaed Economic City in Hail last week. Investment projects worth SR30 billion will be implemented in the Hail city which is set to become a premier commerce and industry hub promoting a diversified economy in the Kingdom. The launch of the Knowledge Economic City (KEC) in Madinah move is part of the efforts to develop various regions in the Kingdom thereby easing pressure off the infrastructure of the country's three main cities. Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) Governor Amr Dabbagh said that the aim of building the new economic city in Madinah is to attract foreign investment to the area. Dabbagh said, "This vital project falls well within plans to upgrade the Kingdom's regions in a sustainable fashion taking into consideration each region's competitive advantages." "Given Madinah's historic stance as the launch pad of Islamic culture by the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) more than 14 centuries ago, the KEC will use Madinah to launch knowledge-based industries," added Dabbagh. The Knowledge Economic City project is a culmination of efforts by a group of leading Saudi companies to develop an economic city to the east of Madinah that would become an international icon. The city is being developed on 4.8-million sq. meters land while the built up area will near 9 million sq. meters attracting some SR25 billion ($6.7 billion) worth of investments. SAGIA says that the city will have 4,000 stores and 30,000 residential units that will house 200,000 inhabitants in total. At the instruction of King Abdullah, SAGIA liaised with a consortium of Saudi investors led by the Savola Group to develop an economic city dedicated to knowledge-based industries (KBI). The consortium, which includes the Savola Group, PMDC, Taibah Investment & Real Estate Development Co., and Quad International Real Estate Development Co., along with the King Abdullah Foundation formed an investment vehicle to develop an economic city based on knowledge based industries (KBI). Transportation within KEC will be facilitated via a ring road above which rises a monorail connecting the city to the neighboring Grand Mosque of Madinah within minutes. This monorail will be tethered to the planned train station thus tapping into the railway access to Makkah, Yanbu, the King Abdullah Economic City as well as the port city of Jeddah. SAGIA has played a pivotal role in the conceptualization of the project. "The king's vision to develop an economic city based on KBI is a forward looking step and the development will boost the region's chances to attract investments," commented Dabbagh. Dabbagh pointed out that the three economic cities launched by SAGIA are in line with its strategy of promoting investments into the Kingdom's sectors that propose the best competitive advantages, namely energy, transportation, and KBI. "The project aims to utilize the Kingdom's second competitive advantage after energy its strategic location as a link between East and West and leverage it through the establishment of a fully integrated economic city providing transportation and logistics services," said SAGIA Governor Amr Al-Dabbagh. Commenting on the king's decision to upgrade the status of Madinah airport, Crown Prince Sultan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation, said it would help citizens and pilgrims to enjoy improved travel facilities. It would also reduce the pressure on Jeddah's King Abdul Aziz International Airport which is the main gateway for pilgrims coming from abroad. "This decision will boost economic sectors in the city, promote the welfare and prosperity of its people and create more job opportunities," SPA quoted the Crown Prince as saying. "Following the royal decision, I have instructed the head of civil aviation to speed up implementation of the Madinah airport's expansion in order to make it an international airport." Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz has already permitted some foreign airlines to bring pilgrims directly to Madinah during the Hajj. Last year, the airport received about 800 Haj flights carrying more than 250,000 pilgrims. The new decision has increased the number of international airports in the Kingdom to four. The others are in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam. King Abdullah made the announcement concerning the airport at a reception for him by the people of Madinah. There were calls by businessmen and ordinary citizens to grant Madinah airport international status amid the growing status of the city as a business and tourist Centre. Many historical and archaeological sites, including Madain Saleh, are located in the region. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz arrived in Jeddah coming from Madinah Al Munawarah region within his current tour of a number of regions to take care of citizens, follow-up the progress of developmental projects and lay the foundation stone of or open new ones. The King was received at King Abdul Aziz International Airport by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Nawaf Ibn Abdul Aziz, Advisor to the King; Prince Bandar Bin Khalid Ibn Abdul Aziz; other princes; ministers and senior civil and military officials. The Monarch was accompanied by a number of princes and senior officials. Earlier in the day, King Abdullah left Madinah Al Munawarah region. At Prince Mohammed Ibn Abdul Aziz International Airport, he was seen off by Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Majid Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Madinah Al-Munawarah region; and senior civil and military officials.