June 23, 2006

IN THE PRESENCE OF THE CROWN PRINCE AND HIGH RANKING OFFICIALS THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES ANNOUNCES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW ECONOMIC CITY IN HAIL. KING ABDULLAH IBN ABDUL AZIZ LAYS THE FOUNDATION STONE FOR A NUMBER OF PROJECTS IN HAIL. UNDER THE DIRECTIVES OF THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES AND THE CROWN PRINCE THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE GIVES UP AN AREA OF 80 MILLION SQUARE METERS ON AL-KHUTTAH ROAD TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF LAND GRANTS FOR HAIL CITIZENS. THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES AND THE CROWN PRINCE ATTEND A CEREMONY HELD BY THE PEOPLE OF AL IHSA GOVERNORATE IN HONOUR OF THE ROYAL VISIT. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz patronized the ceremony of laying foundation stones of a number of developmental projects belonging to the Ministry of Higher Education; the Ministry of Transport; the Ministry of Water and Electricity; the General Organization of Technical Education and Vocational Training and Rajhi Housing Project. Upon arrival at the venue, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was received by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Saud Ibn Abdul Mohsin Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Hail Region; Prince Badr Ibn Abdul Mohsin Ibn Abdul Aziz; other princes and a number of ministers and officials. A speech ceremony was held on this occasion. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah launched the first university in the northern Hail region. The university will have five colleges with advanced academic and research facilities and the first phase of its campus project will cost SR645 million. Higher Education Minister Dr. Khaled Al-Anqari announced that 15,000 Saudi students would be sent abroad for higher studies under the King Abdullah Scholarship Program. In his speech, the Minister of Higher Education Dr. Khalid Ibn Mohammed Al-Anqari noted the king's approval of setting up two universities in Baha and Tabuk regions. He pointed out that an amount of nearly SR 8 billion has been appropriated to a number of projects at the existing universities in the kingdom and SR 4 billion allocated from the budget surplus of fiscal year 1425/1426h to projects of university buildings and new colleges in various kingdom's regions. Speaking about the university project, Al-Anqari said Hail University was designed to become one of the most distinguished institutions of higher learning in the Kingdom with state-of-the-art academic and research facilities. "It will have a unique academic environment that brings together education, research, application and production," he explained. "The first phase of the university project will cost SR645 million," the minister said. Extending over an area of nine million square meters, the university will include five colleges: College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Computer Science, College of Sciences and Community College. Addressing the ceremony, Dr. Jubarah Ibn Eid Al-Suraisri recalled the king's approval of the biggest budget in the history of the Ministry of Transport over 20 years in 1425/1426H which amounted to SR 7 billion allocated for 294 projects. He added that the king approved in the following budget a bigger budget for the ministry amounted to SR7.9 billion. Dr Al-Suraisri indicated that the Monarch allocated SR 5 billion from the budget surplus of 1424/1425 H for a road sector and same amount from the budget surplus of the following year. The Minister of Transport pointed out that 60 projects costing more than SR 1.8 billion have been approved for Hail. On his part, the Minister of Water and Electricity Eng. Abdullah Ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Hussein noted Hail water comprehensive project at a cost of SR 1.8 billion. He pointed out that this project will complete other water projects, drainage system and dams currently under execution at a cost of more than SR 1.870 billion. As to electricity system in hail region, an amount of more than SR 1.368 billion has been spent over the last five years, the minister said. In his speech, Khalid Ibn Mohammed Al-Qusaibi, the Minister of Economy and Planning, Acting Minister of Labor and Acting Chairman of the Board of Directors of General Organization of Technical Education and Vocational Training said that a sum of SR 9 billion has been allocated for the execution of new projects in the field of training in various parts of the kingdom. The Minister added that a number of projects at a cost of SR 350 Million have been executed in hail region including the setting up of technological college and various training institutes. Last Tuesday, King Abdullah unveiled a SR30 billion economic city in the region, which will host agricultural and mineral industries, an education zone and a residential area with 30,000 housing units. The Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Musaed Economic City, named after the first governor of Hail, an agricultural region rich in mineral resources that has some 600,000 inhabitants, will have its own airport, a railway service and a dry dock. The king handed over the license to build the city to a group of investors before laying its foundation stone. He also watched a documentary on the city. King Abdullah arrived in Hail from Ahsa on the fifth leg of his current tour of the Kingdom's regions during which he is meeting people and inaugurating new projects. The king has already visited Jubail, Alkhobar, Qateef and Ahsa. The new economic city in northern Saudi Arabia is the second of five such cities planned by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) in different parts of the Kingdom. Last December, the first city, King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh, some 200 km north of Jeddah, was launched. The King Abdullah City is expected to attract SR100 billion ($26.6 billion) in investment. The Hail economic city will cost SR30 billion, according to a source in Rakiza Holding, the company which will oversee the project along with SAGIA and the Hail Development Authority. The city will have 12 strategic facilities for trade and services. Some 80,000 people are expected to live in the new city, which will have business and leisure centers. Extending over 156 million square meters, it will also house 3,000 office units and a logistical supply and services center. The venture, whose cost was confirmed by other officials at the launch, is part of efforts to boost less developed regions of the Kingdom. "The government is making sure to allocate a large part of the budget surplus to development projects in the regions which did not get their full share," the king told Hail residents at a reception. The planned economic city will be a big boost to development in the region, the king said, adding that it would create 30,000 jobs over the next 10 years. King Abdullah also dedicated a number of educational, manpower training, housing and infrastructure projects in Hail. Crown Prince Sultan, and top officials including Prince Sultan Ibn Salman, Secretary-General of the Supreme Commission for Tourism, attended the launch. King Abdullah's next destination is the central region of Qasim, where he will dedicate 13 educational, welfare and development projects worth SR5 billion. The projects include Qasim University, which is estimated to cost SR1.2 billion. Also, King Abdullah allocated 80 million square meters of land in Hail, belonged to the Ministry of Defence and Aviation, to build houses for Saudis. A new residential area will be established in the plot to accommodate some 15,000 families. According to the plan, there will be 350 investment projects, 80 schools, 100 mosques and a number of commercial centers in the area. Prince Saud Ibn Abdul Mohsin Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Hail region announced the royal grant of a land for Hail citizens ordered by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince, noting that the Ministry of Defence and Aviation will give up an area of 80 million square meters on Al-Khuttah road to solve the problems of land grants for hail citizens. The king also launched the King Abdul Aziz Cultural Center project, comprising modern shopping centers, hotels, administrative and office buildings and service centers. The state will have a 73 percent stake in the project that will be completed in seven years, SPA said. King Abdullah later inaugurated a charitable project of Suleiman Ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Rajhi, a businessman. The SR600 million project includes 400 housing units, two vocational training schools, a large mosque, a polyclinic and a public library. Al-Rajhi plans to carry out similar projects in other parts of the Kingdom. The King commissioned a SR1.8 billion water distribution project to supply water to hundreds of villages in the region. He also launched the Hail-Jouf Expressway and Hail-Madinah Expressway. Ali Al-Ghafees, governor of the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training (GOTEVOT), said his organization would establish 162 vocational training institutes, 45 technical colleges and 41 higher technical institutes for girls. He said GOTEVOT was carrying out projects worth SR350 million in Hail. The ceremony was attended by Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Ibn Musaed Al Saud, Governor of the Northern Borders region; a number of princes; ministers and senior civil and military officials. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz has graced in Hail the grand party held in his honor by Hail people. The party 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 Saud Ibn Abdul Mohsin, Governor of Hail Region; Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Saad Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Governor of Hail Region; Prince Abdullah Ibn Khalid Ibn Abdullah Al Saud, Assistant Chairman of the Supreme Commission for the Development of Hail Region, other princes and a number of officials. Big numbers of cheerful Hail people also received the King with clapping and chanting as the monarch was raising his hand in salute. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz arrived in Hail region coming from Ihsa governorate within his tour of several parts of the kingdom to get assured of the situations in the regions and open or lay the foundation stones for a number of developmental projects. He was received at Hail regional airport by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation And Inspector General; Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Ibn Musaed Al Saud, the Governor of Northern borders region; Prince Saud Ibn Abdul Mohsin Ibn Abdul Aziz, the governor of Hail region; other princes; ministers; senior civil and military officials and a group of citizens. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was accompanied by Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior; a number of princes; and senior officials. The King left Ihsa governorate earlier in the day, he was seen off by Prince Mohammed Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, the governor of the eastern region; a number of princes; senior officials and groups of citizens. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz arrived in Al-Ihsa Province within his tour of several parts of the kingdom to get assured of the situations in the regions and open or lay the foundation stone for a number of developmental projects. The King was received at Al-Hafouf airport by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation And Inspector General: Prince Juluwe Ibn Abdul Aziz Ibn Musaed, Deputy Governor of the Eastern Region, Prince Badr Ibn Mohammed Ibn Juluwe, Governor of Al-Ihsa province, other princes, senior civil and military officials and a group of citizens. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was accompanied by Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General: 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 King left Dhahran earlier in the day. He was accompanied by a number of princes. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz graced in the presence of Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Defence and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, a reception party hosted by citizens of Al-Ihsa region, on the occasion of his current visit to the region. On behalf of the region's citizens, Sheikh Ahmad Ibn Hamad Al-Bu-Ali reiterated their readiness to make any sacrifice for the sake of the sacred places, the leadership and the country against terrorists who have been trying to undermine the country's stability and security. He also praised the achievements and progress attained by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz has welcomed the vision of Prince Badr Ibn Muhammad Ibn Jalawi Al-Saud, the Emir of the Ihsa region, to transform the area into a hub of tourists destination. Prince Badr, speaking on behalf of the citizens of Ihsa, expressed the people's happiness for the King's visit and also the presence of his accompanying delegation, which included, among others, Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Prince Mohammed Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of the Eastern region, Prince Sultan Ibn Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Secretary General of Supreme Commission for Tourism, and Prince Julawi Ibn Abdul Aziz Ibn Mussaed, the Deputy Governor of the Eastern region. In his welcome speech at the Abdullah Ibn Julawi Sports Stadium, Prince Badr said Al Ihsa region has enormous potential of becoming one of the prime tourist attractions in the region. "We can bring back to life the many tourist attractions in Al Ihsa and build more tourist infrastructures to support the dream of making the region a new hub for local and international tourists," the Governor of Al Ihsa said. Prince Badr explained the current tourism development projects that are ongoing in Al Ihsa. "Our attention is now focused on restoring the archeological and historical sites, including the Port on Al- Aqeer beach," he said. He said Al-Aqeer would attract citizens, the expatriate communities, and visitors from the Gulf and other foreign countries. "Al Ihsa is very rich in Islamic and cultural values, which is why there is that need to transform the region to preserve its glorious past and make people know that these values exist. Tourism is the best avenue," he said. Ahmad Al-Baul, one of Ihsa's leading citizens, delivered a speech expressing the deep appreciation of the people of the region for the visit of the King. A play, performed by the people of Ihsa, entitled, "The Allegiance," was presented, along with national songs and poems performed by school children. The King enjoyed joining the 'Ardah' folk dance. The ceremony lasted past one in the early morning. King Abdullah and his delegation left Al Ihsa for Hail. In Ihsa, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques launched a number of educational and manpower training projects that required more than SR1.6 billion in investment. King Abdullah has approved the establishment of a literary club in Ihsa. Information Minister Iyad Madani said the king has instructed authorities to allocate money required to build a headquarters for the club. The king received a group of intellectuals and men of letters from the region at Ihsa Airport before leaving for Hail. On the other hand the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz had a phone call with Prince Sultan Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, President of Youth Welfare and Chairman of the Saudi Sports Mission to the World Cup qualifying matches. The King congratulated the entire Saudi Sports Mission for the high level of the Saudi football team in its match against Tunisian team. On his part, Prince Sultan Bin Fahd expressed his pleasure to King Abdullah for his support to athletes all over the Kingdom.