RIYADH, 14 October 2005 — Students of King Faisal schools will be sent abroad as part of field trips not only to broaden their intellectual horizon but also to project the true image of the Kingdom, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, director-general of the King Faisal Foundation and governor of Asir, told newsmen yesterday.
He spoke to newsmen after presiding over the 28th session of the King Faisal Foundation on behalf of Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal, chairman of the board of trustees of the Foundation.
Prince Khaled said he learned during his visit to Portugal and France that the outside world knew very little about the Kingdom. They only have negative perceptions, he said stressing that the media and citizens ought to play their role to correct the image of the country.
Later, Prince Khaled inaugurated an exhibition of Qur’anic calligraphy organized by King Faisal Center for Islamic Research and Studies. The exhibition is open to the public till Oct. 26 from 9 p.m. till midnight.
Referring to the students’ foreign trip, the prince said the students were being sent abroad to project the true image of Islam and the Kingdom.
About the scholarship scheme, he said it was continuing. The prince also spoke about the Alfaisal University project, which would be completed in two years.
Prince Khaled said Saudi businessmen had played a major role in raising funds for the Alfaisal University project. Donors will have colleges, conference halls, laboratories and classrooms named after them depending on the size of their donations. “We are in talks with various universities abroad to identify the areas of cooperation. Details will be announced as soon as any agreement is reached,” he said.
About the role of Arab Thought Foundation in combating terrorism, he said the Foundation provided a platform for intellectuals to express their ideas on a wide range of issues. “It has no political agenda, nor does it give any advice as such. It serves as a forum through which the intelligentsia could articulate its views on different issues.” To a question if the King Faisal International Prize would be restricted to national level in future, he replied in the negative saying it was an international award and would continue to be so.
Meanwhile, the general assembly of the King Faisal Foundation has reported a net income of SR120.67 million for 2004, while the amount of donation reached SR7.85 million last year. Its expenditure stood at SR36.86 million for the same period.
