TABUK/DAMMAM: Crown Prince Sultan yesterday inaugurated the Prince Fahd bin Sultan University in Tabuk and announced an annual donation of SR10 million to the private sector institution.
Prince Sultan requested the university’s authorities to admit 50 orphans and handicapped, saying their education would be at his personal expense, “in honor of humanity and the university itself.”
Spreading over an area of 600,000 square meters, the university is designed to have more than 12 colleges. At present it has three colleges.
Tabuk Gov. Prince Fahd bin Sultan, who is chairman of the university’s board of trustees, emphasized the role of education in boosting the development of the Kingdom and its people.
“Education has been the focus of development in the Kingdom since the time of King Abdul Aziz,” he pointed out. He underscored the importance given by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to higher education.
Fatima Salama Al-Balawi, undersecretary for the university’s women’s section, praised Prince Fahd for his endeavors for the educational development of Tabuk.
Earlier, Riyad Shadeed, acting president of the university, welcomed Prince Sultan and other guests. “This is the first research university in the region providing development services,” he said.
Earlier yesterday, Prince Sultan visited Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Saleh Al-Humaid, chief justice of Tabuk. “Our doors are open to Islamic scholars and knowledgeable people; we listen to them to know and understand what is going on around us, especially about officials.”
Prince Sultan said government officials, being human beings, are likely to make mistakes. “There are two types of mistakes; deliberate mistakes we don’t do. There are mistakes that are not deliberate and any person may make such mistakes. But the presence of those who alert us and turn our attention toward them is a blessing from God,” he added.
“By the Grace of God, we are one nation. There is no big and small, everybody is equal. A man may attain high position depending upon his religious status, his activities and service to humanity,” the crown prince said.
The crown prince arrived in the Eastern Province later yesterday to take part in Eid celebrations organized by the armed forces.
Prince Sultan is also scheduled to open Prince Muhammad bin Fahd University in Alkhobar today. Eastern Province Gov. Prince Muhammad bin Fahd, who is also chairman of the university’s board of trustees, lauded the deep interest shown by the crown prince in the promotion of higher education in the Kingdom in general and in the province in particular.
The foundation stone of the university, which sprawls over an area of 500,000 square meters and estimated to cost SR450 million, was laid by Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman in 2006. Prince Muhammad donated the land for the campus in addition to SR27 million for the construction of an engineering college for men. The various blocks of the university have been built in line with the Saudi architectural style.
— Input by P.K. Abdul Ghafour & Faiz Al-Mazrouei
