July 28, 2006

THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES PATRONIZES THE LAUNCH OF A NUMBER OF PROJECTS IN TAIF AND AL-BAHA. KING ABDULLAH IBN ABDUL AZIZ: SAUDI OFFICIALS VIEW EQUALLY ALL CITIZENS AND REGIONS, AND WE DO BELIEVE THAT ALL ARE EQUAL IN THEIR RIGHTS AND DUTIES. THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES: WE ARE ALL ONE NATION AND OUR ARMS ARE OPEN TO ALL CITIZENS. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz graced a grand festival held by citizens of Taif Governorate on the occasion of the King's visit to the region. Upon arrival at the venue, the Monarch was received by the Governor of Taif Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz Ibn Muammar and a number of officials. A speech ceremony was held on this occasion. Addressing the festival, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz expressed his pleasure to be in Taif which has been for many years the summer capital of the state. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques announced the inauguration of a pioneering project titled '' University of Science and Technology'' which will be built at the side of Red Sea at a cost of nearly SR 10 billion. Underlying the paramount importance of higher education in science and technology-related subjects, the king said, "The university will be one of the best internationally distinguished centers of scientific research and invention. It will have faculties staffed by scientists of the highest intellectual calibre drawn from different parts of the world. The university will also be a channel for interaction between diverse peoples and civilizations. It will serve as a beacon of scientific studies benefiting not only the Kingdom but the Arab and Muslim nations as well." The king added, "We are living in an era of scientific and technological advancement. There is no real power without achieving progress in science and technology. Anyone failing to achieve excellence in these subjects will be marginalized. The new university will aim at achieving excellence in science and technology." The Monarch thanked them for the warm welcome, wishing them all success. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz patronized a ceremony of laying foundation stones and the inauguration of a number of developmental projects in Taif Governorate. The projects belong to Ministries of Labour, Higher Education, Transport and Health. Upon arrival at the venue, the Monarch was received by the Governor of Taif Governorate Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz Ibn Muammar and a number of officials. A speech ceremony was held on this occasion. The Minister of Labour and Chairman of Board of Directors of General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training Dr. Ghazi Ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Gosaibi asked the Monarch to give a signal for launching the projects of Technology College, College of Hotel and Tourism, Female Higher Institute of Technology , and Vocational Training Institutes in Taif and Missan at a cost of nearly SR 300 million. Speaking about the Taif university project, Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-Anqari said the university campus will be built on an area over 12 million square meters and will comprise eight faculties specializing in medicine, applied medical sciences, computer and information system studies, science, finance, management, pharmacology, engineering, social sciences and education with a capacity of 13,000 students of both genders. The campus will also include a 200-bed hospital, which will be built at a cost of SR1 billion. The higher education minister explained that the first phase of the university will include the development of the general location of the university and the infrastructure, and building the faculties of science, education, medicine, applied medical sciences, engineering, pharmacology and the hospital. On his part, the Minister of Transport Dr. Jubarah Ibn Eid Al-Suraisri said that at the level of the Kingdom we celebrate practical achievements of executing road projects at a cost of more than SR 22 billion and more than 24,000 kilometers in length; in Makkah region at a cost of SR 2.5 billion and 3100 km in length, and in Taif more than SR 1 billion and 720 km in length. The king also granted permission to start work on a 12-kilometer two-way road between Hada and Al-Kar at a cost of SR198 million and an 18-kilometer Taif ring road that will cost SR49 million. On the other hand, the Minister of Health Dr. Hamad Ibn Abdullah Al-Mane addressed the King saying you are laying the foundation stones of projects of 43 health centers at a cost of SR 150 million; King Faisal Hospital at a cost of SR 300 million, Hospital of Women and Children in Taif at a cost of SR 104 million and inaugurating Al-Khurmah General Hospital at a cost of SR 22 million. Then the King toured an exhibition held on the sidelines of the ceremony and watched replicas of the projects. The King graced a luncheon held on this occasion. The ceremony and the banquet were 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 arrived in Taif as part of his regional tours to observe the state of the people of the Kingdom up close and to inaugurate a number of developmental programs. Children with bouquets welcomed King Abdullah at the Taif airport. Elaborate arrangements were made to welcome the king with folk music and dance as the occasion also coincides with the anniversary of King Abdullah's accession to the throne. Both sides of the road leading from the airport were festooned with flowers and other decorations. The king urged the people to cut short the festivities as a mark of sympathy for their suffering fellow Arabs in Lebanon and Palestine, Saudi Press Agency reported. Interior Minister Prince Naif and several princes and high-ranking officials accompanied the king. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received here today the Kingdom's Grand Mufti and Chairman of Senior Ulema Commission and Religious Research and Ifta Department Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh; Chairman of Supreme Judicial Council Sheikh Saleh bin Mohammad Al-Luhaidan; religious scholars; sheikhs; civilian and military officials and a group of citizens who came to greet and congratulate him on his safe arrival in Taif. A speech ceremony was held on this occasion. In his speech, Member of Shoura Council Retired Major General Abdul Qadir Abdul Hay Kamal commended the King for the enhancement of the role of reform in the Kingdom. The audience was attended by Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior; and a number of princes. They all had lunch at the King's banquet. In Taif the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received at his palace Prince Miqren Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chief of General Intelligence accompanied by Assistant Chief of General Intelligence for Training Major General Yosef Al-Idrisi; Commander of Center and School King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz for Special Security in Taif Brigadier Ahmed Ibn Sulaiman Al-Mutlaq; and the center and the school's senior commanders and officers on the occasion of changing the name of the center and the school from Prince Abdullah to King Abdullah and on the 1st anniversary of the pledge of allegiance to the King. The audience was attended by Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior; and a number of princes. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz arrived in Taif coming from Jeddah at the outset of an inspection tour of Taif Governorate and Baha region to meet citizens, sense their needs, and to lay foundation stones and inaugurate a number of developmental projects. At Taif Airport, King Abdullah was received by Prince Mohammed Ibn Abdullah Ibn Jelawe; Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; a number of princes; ministers; officials and citizens. The Monarch was accompanied by Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior; Prince Faisal Ibn Turki Ibn Abdul Aziz; Prince Bandar Ibn Khalid Ibn Abdul Aziz; other princes; Dr. Ghazi Ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Qusaibi, the Minister of Labor; Iyad Ibn Amin Madani, Minister of Culture and Information and a number of officials. Earlier, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz left Jeddah for Taif. At King Abdul Aziz International Airport, he was seen off by Prince Badr Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Commander of the National Guard; a number of princes; ministers; officials; and groups of citizens. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz has hailed the achievements accomplished by sons of Baha region in public, military and business sectors. The King made these remarks in an address at a grand festival hosted in his honour by citizens in Baha region on the occasion of his visit to the region. "I do feel happy to be among you today. I would like to make it clear that Saudi officials view equally all citizens and regions, and we don't believe that some citizens remain deprived and some others are lucky, but we do believe that all are equal in their rights and duties," King Abdullah said. Later, the King received a memorial gift from the citizens of baha region. The King also graced a dinner party hosted by the citizens in his honour. The dinner party was attended by Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister, Prince Mohammad Ibn Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Baha region, other princes and high-ranking officials. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz graced a grand festival held by citizens of Baha region on the occasion of the King's visit. Upon arrival at the venue, the Monarch was received by Prince Mohammed Ibn Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Baha region; Prince Dr. Faisal Ibn Mohammed Ibn Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz, Under Secretary of Baha region governorate; a number of princes and officials. A speech ceremony was held on this occasion. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz arrived in Baha coming from Taif Governorate within an inspection tour to meet citizens, sense their needs, lay foundation stones and inaugurate a number of developmental projects. At Baha Airport, the King was received by Prince Mohammed Ibn Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Baha region; Prince Dr. Faisal Ibn Mohammed Ibn Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz, Under Secretary of Baha region governorate; a number of princes; officials and citizens. The Monarch was accompanied by Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of interior; Prince Faisal Ibn Turki Ibn Abdul Aziz; Prince Bandar Ibn Khalid Ibn Abdul Aziz; other princes and senior officials. Earlier, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques left Taif governorate. At Taif airport, he was seen off by the governor of Taif Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz Ibn Muammar; a number of officials; and groups of citizens. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah laid foundation stones for more than SR2 billion worth of development projects at various locations in Al-Baha region. Two children welcomed the king with bouquets, showering his path with flower petals at Aqiq where the function was held. King Abdullah began the series of inaugurations by first opening new projects worth SR500 million for the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training (GOTEVT). They include a technical college at Al-Qelwah, a higher institute for technology for women, and seven institutes of vocational training, Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, chairman of the GOTEVT, said. The king opened the Baha University project, which would be built on a 3-million-square-meter campus. The first phase of the university, including the construction of the faculties of science, engineering, applied medicine and a community college, is estimated to cost SR400 million. More than 900 kilometers of road projects at an estimated cost of SR1.3 billion are currently being planned in various parts of the Kingdom. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques opened three projects at a total cost of SR360 million in the Al-Baha region. They included the 103-kilometer Baha-Mikhwa-Madlaif two-way road to link Al-Baha with the Red Sea at a cost of SR115 million, Transport Minister Jabara Al-Seraisry said in a statement to SPA. The second project was the 50-kilometer road connecting Al-Baha with the Bisha-Riyadh highway cutting the distance from Al-Baha to the capital by 300 kilometers. The cost of the road is estimated at SR63 million. The third road project inaugurated was the SR181 million 44-kilometer Al-Baha-Aqiq-airport road. Speaking on the new health schemes in the region, Minister of Health Hamad Al-Manie said said that health projects worth more than SR 270.5 million launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz includes Baljurashi General Hospital and 43 Health Care Centers. Al-Mani said that Baljurashi General Hospital will be of a 500-beds capacity, spread over an area of 70, 000 square meters area. It is estimated to cost SR 120 million. The hospital will consist of three floors including all medical departments for male and female, medical maintenance workshop, a giant underground water tank, 15-megawatts electricity station, a car parking area and other facilities. Al-Mani' also said that 43 health care centers will be constructed on 2, 500 square meters area each. The total cost of the centers will amount to SR 150.5 million. These centers will have several medical clinics for male and female. The water projects launched by the king included a project involving 20 wells with a production capacity of 20,000 cubic meters per day. The wells are to be dug at a location 90 kilometers away from Al-Baha. The project also includes an 81-kilometer pipeline with several pumping stations and an 11,800 cubic meter water tank, Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah Al-Hussayen said after the king inaugurated the projects. The minister also stressed the importance of opening new dams in the region, which receives rainfall at the rate of 400 mm while the Kingdom average is 80 mm. The region already has 26 dams while four are under construction. The water and electricity minister added that there are 12,500 electricity subscribers in the area while the cost of electricity production and supply in the region was SR600 million. The king also opened a number of school projects in the region yesterday, Education Minister Abdullah Al-Obaid said. They include 31 schools for boys at the cost of SR125 million, 21 schools for girls at SR 80 million and 47 educational projects for boys and 16 projects for girls. After the inaugural functions, the king viewed the models of various new projects. Municipal and Rural Affairs Minister Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz and Interior Minister Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz were among the dignitaries who attended the functions. Minister of Labor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Organization of Technical Education and Vocational Training (GOTEVT) Ghazi Ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Gosaibi said that the projects launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz are worth SR 516 million. They include opening of Al-Baha-based Polytechnic College, laying the foundation stones of a number of other projects affiliated to GOTEVT. In a statement to SPA, Al-Gosaibi said that Al-Baha-based Polytechnic College is constructed on an area of 600, 000 square meters. It is estimated to cost SR 95 million and will include various departments. He added that the projects include laying the foundation stones of Al-Qelwah Polytechnic College (cost: SR 95 million); Al-Baha Technical Higher Institute for female (SR 72 million); Technical Education and Vocational Training Institutes in Al-Mikhwah, Baljurashi, Al-Mandaq, Al- Qelwah, Al-Qera and Al-Baha ( each costing SR 40 million) in addition to another Technical Education and Vocational Training Institute in Al-Baha (SR 14 million). Al-Gosaibi also said that the General Organization of Technical Education and Vocational Training (GOTEVT) will construct and replace 45 Poly- Technique Colleges, 162 Technical Education and Vocational Training Institutes and 41 Higher Institutes for female all over the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, pointing out that the number of Poly Technique Colleges and Technical Education and Vocational Training Institutes will amount to 250, hence the number of trainees will increase from 10000 to 400000 male and female and the number of graduates will increase from 40000 to 180,000 annually. Al-Gosaibi added that the output of GOTEVT this year reached 51,000 graduates, pointing out that 56,000 trainees will be accepted next year in the general training program and 14,000 trainees will be accepted in private training programs. He said the global developmental experiences affirmed that strong partnership between governmental and nongovernmental sectors will guarantee Technical Education and Vocational Training and will help meet the labor market needs. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received in Aqiq governorate a group of citizens who came to greet and congratulate him on safe arrival in Baha region. The audience was attended by Prince Miteb Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Mohammed Ibn Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz, the governor of Baha region; a number of princes; ministers and officials. They all had luncheon at the king's banquet. Upon the arrival of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz to launch the new projects, he was received by Prince Mohammad bin Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz, governor of Al-Baha region and Prince Faisal Ibn Mohammad Ibn Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Governor of Al-Baha region.