TABUK: Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, yesterday donated SR22 million to build 649 housing units for members of the armed forces in the Northwestern Region, it was announced yesterday.
Earlier, addressing an Eid ceremony organized by the armed forces at King Abdulaziz Military City, the crown prince commended the successful completion of Saif Al-Salam military exercises.
“I am now convinced that the joint military operations are going on well as planned and the performance of the four sectors of armed forces was excellent,” the crown prince told the gathering, which included top commanders.
“I congratulate all of you on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr as well as on this wonderful performance,” Sultan said. He also referred to the Kingdom’s 78th National Day and highlighted the remarkable progress achieved by the country. “The most important achievement was in the military sector, which is set to make greater progress in the coming years. I don’t want to speak more about this matter. Let the achievements speak for themselves,” he said.
In a previous statement, Prince Sultan had said that the routine military exercises had nothing to do with the growing tension in the region and that they were aimed at enhancing alertness and achieving the integration of different armed forces.
The National Guard, the Border Guard, land, naval, air and air defense forces took part in the Saif Al-Salam exercise.
New university
The crown prince will open today the Prince Fahd bin Sultan University in Tabuk, the region’s first private institution of higher learning. There are three colleges for computer science, engineering, and business administration at the university, which is named after Tabuk Gov. Prince Fahd bin Sultan.
“It is a very great honor for the students and staff of the university and the people of Tabuk to see Prince Sultan opening the university,” the governor said. Prince Sultan laid the foundation stone for the institution about five years ago.
“There are plans to establish three more colleges for pharmacology, dentistry and humanities,” Prince Fahd said, adding that the university would enhance the region’s educational development. He said the university had signed an agreement with the American University in Beirut (AUB) and cooperates with universities in the United States, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Under the agreement, AUB will help the university set out its academic strategy, in the selection of teaching staff and the structuring of educational facilities.
The university has established a center for continuous education, which extends academic and consultative services to governmental sectors, companies and individuals. “Arrangements are under way to introduce programs for higher studies in cooperation with a number of international universities,” he said.
