RIYADH, 19 October — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, led the flow of aid to the national campaign for Afghan refugees yesterday with generous personal donations.
King Fahd pledged SR10 million and Crown Prince Abdullah SR5 million to help alleviate the plight of Afghan refugees as the day-long telethon saw many open their hearts and purses.
Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation contributed SR3 million, while Prince Mishaal, Interior Minister Prince Naif, and Riyadh Governor Prince Salman each donated SR1 million. Several other princes and princesses contributed generously.
The royal family has always been in forefront in providing relief to major causes. They had contributed a large portion to the Al-Quds Fund, set up to help the Palestinians. Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal gave SR9 million, while his daughter Princess Reem donated SR5 million and son Prince Khaled SR5 million. Alwaleed’s generosity was previously evident even in New York, when he presented a check for $10 million to the city’s mayor, Rudolph Giulani, for the Twin Tower Fund following the devastating Sept. 11 US attacks. However, the mayor, in a move widely criticized here in the Kingdom, turned down the prince’s donation.
