AL-AHSA, 17 October — Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, inaugurated the 300-bed King Abdul Aziz Hospital here yesterday. He also dedicated to the nation a newly built National Guard military city.
The opening ceremony was attended by a large number of princes and top officials. Prince Mashari ibn Saud, head of the National Guard in the Eastern Province, thanked the crown prince for opening the two vital facilities.
Dr. Fahd Al-Abdul Jabbar, executive director of health affairs at the National Guard, highlighted the medical achievements made by King Abdul Aziz medical cities in both Riyadh and Jeddah.
In this respect he noted the successful separation of Malaysian Siamese twins at King Abdul Aziz Medical City in Riyadh. The two hospitals, he added, were also hosting international medical conferences.
He said the two National Guard hospitals in Dammam and Al-Ahsa were established at a total cost of SR750 million. Covering an area of 35,000 square meters, the Ahsa hospital’s capacity could be expanded to 400 beds.
Prince Abdullah will lay the foundation for a college of health science to train Saudi nurses and other paramedical staff, Abdul Jabbar said, adding that the college will play a big role in nationalization of jobs in the health sector.
Prince Abdullah was later briefed on the facilities at the military city. The crown prince, who is on an inspection tour of the Eastern Province, also attended a reception organized by the people of Al-Ahsa region.
Prince Abdullah is scheduled to open today the Hawiya gas project to process non-associated gas. In a statement on the occasion, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi said the project was first of its kind in the Kingdom.
"It will supply additional quantities of gas to the local market," he added.
Naimi said natural gas will gradually replace oil in electricity power plants. "Gas will save more oil for exportation and will play a vital role in the development of the petrochemical industry in the Kingdom."
He said that, during the last ten years, the Kingdom’s natural gas reserves had doubled. He added that the present strategy included the expansion of the capacity of the major gas network from 3 to 7 billion cubic feet. The minister said the Haradh gas project will be completed next year.
The expansion of the network will meet all the Kingdom’s needs of natural gas for various uses such as electricity, water desalination, petrochemical and other industries until the year 2007, the minister said.
With 224 trillion cubic feet of proven reserves, the Kingdom is ranked the world’s fourth largest in natural gas reserves, and is the tenth largest gas producer and consumer, Naimi said.
