DAMMAM, 25 May 2003 — It was a moment of joy for the graduating students of the Dhahran Ahliyya Schools when they were presented to the Eastern Province Governor Prince Muhammad ibn Fahd for their graduation amid thunderous applause from their family members and friends.
With a smile on his face, Prince Muhammad congratulated each student and presented them their certificates. “It is a day to remember,” said Ali, a new graduate. Prince Muhammad called upon the students to strive still harder so that they would be able to take the nation on the path of success and progress.
“You are our future and we have high hope for you,” he said. He reiterated the nation’s indignation at the Riyadh explosions and said the feelings of the people of the Eastern Province had been conveyed to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, Crown Prince Abdullah and Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation. He hoped that all efforts would be made to rein in such elements and concentrate on the progress and development of the country.
Khaled Al-Turki, director of Dhahran Ahliyya Schools, welcomed the governor and said that terrorism had no place in the Kingdom’s educational or in Islamic teachings. “Our religion teaches tolerance and peace,” he said.
Commending King Fahd’s efforts in promoting education, Al-Turki reminded the audience, “He was the Kingdom’s first education minister and since then he has kept education as a top priority.”
He said the country had been blessed with abundant natural resources and that the government had used these resources for the growth and development of the country to the benefit of its people. Al-Turki said it had been wise planning that had helped the country to use these resources in the right way.
Al-Turki congratulated the graduating students and said that they still had a long way to go. He pointed out to them that success lay in commitment and the correct understanding of religion.
