MADINAH, 26 October 2005 — The appointment of Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Majed as the governor of Madinah has met with positive approval from the residents. The elevation of Prince Muqrin as the head of intelligence was widely seen as reflecting well on the Madinah Governorate.
Talal Al-Saadi, a longtime Madinah resident, said Prince Muqrin’s improvements to the city during his tenure were widely known both inside and outside Madinah. “He was known as a man who would not refuse help to those in need. He is a man of charity,” said Al-Saadi.
He felt that the appointment of Prince Muqrin as intelligence head was an honor to Madinah and its people. “We are happy for him and he deserves it. We want the new governor of Madinah to continue on the same path,” Al-Saadi added.
Prince Muqrin is seen to have developed the city in a very short time. “He managed to make Madinah very advanced in terms of computer technology,” said Areeq Al-Harbi, a resident of Al-Kurdi neighborhood. “He had the dream of transforming the government in Madinah into an e-government.”
Al-Harbi thought that the new governor would face new challenges and wanted him to continue the development and solve Madinah’s problems. “We also want him to create more job opportunities for unemployed Madinah residents,” Al-Harbi added.
Hasan Al-Oufi thought that the main challenge that the new governor would face is developing the undeveloped areas. “There are so many undeveloped areas in Madinah such as the Osaifreen neighborhood that need new planning. Osaifreen is so disorganized that visitors get lost easily. It should be rebuilt once again because it is a safe heaven for overstayers.”
Prince Muqrin had developed an image as a man with the common touch and was frequently seen walking the streets meeting and speaking to the ordinary citizen.
“I remember seeing him one day walking in the central area in Madinah with his usual smile on his face,” said Saud Al-Harbi. “He was shaking hands with people. He is very down to earth and modest.”
Al-Harbi felt sure that the new prince would carry on with the development of Madinah. “We do want the new prince to pay more attention to pilgrims,” he stressed. “We want to see the seasonal mistakes and problems solved forever.”
