JEDDAH: Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal will sponsor a special exhibition titled “Al-Faisal, Witness and Martyr” at the Jeddah International Exhibitions Center here tomorrow.

Jeddah is the third station after Riyadh and Abha to host the exhibition about life and achievements of the late King Faisal in pictures, films and manuscripts. The show, organized by King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS), will continue for 45 days.

Prince Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of the board of directors of the KFCRIS, said he expected a large turnout.

The prince said the exhibition aims to educate the new Saudi generation about King Faisal’s struggle for the development of his country. He added that the exhibition would display photo-documented data about King Faisal’s trips abroad and also about his political stances on the local, regional and international issues.

He said the organizing committee was keen to hold the exhibition during the months of Shawwal and Dhul Qaadah to coincide with Haj and Umrah and said there will be a morning and an evening visiting periods.

Prince Turki recalled that a scientific seminar on the history of King Faisal was organized by King Abdul Aziz Museum when the show was first opened in Riyadh.

“This was the second seminar of its kind to be held by the museum to highlight the history and achievements of the sons of King Abdul Aziz, the founder, and their efforts to develop the Kingdom and promote the government institutions,” he said.

Abha, capital of the southern Asir province, was the second stopover for the show, which was held at the Crystal Hall of the Palace Hotel from Aug. 1 to the middle of September and was visited by more than 33,000 people, 78 percent of them youths.

Prince Turki said a number of students and researchers who were interested in the history of the late king visited the exhibition in Riyadh and Abha. He added that the Jeddah show would shed more light on the history of a great leader who served the Arab and Islamic nation and supported its just causes.

Prince Turki described King Faisal as one of the great historical personalities who started his effective military, political and administrative contributions at an early age benefiting from teaching and guidance of his father King Abdul Aziz.

He said the exhibition will portray the entire life of late King Faisal from the time he entered into politics in the 1920s, covering the period when he was the representative of his father in Europe at the age of 13 to his ascent to the throne in 1964 until he was martyred in 1975.

“There will be rare photographs of the late king and videotapes showing various stages of his life in addition to some of his personal belongings and some manuscripts of his own writings,” he added.

Prince Turki said the visitors would have a chance to have a look at the meetings between the late king and his people to see for themselves how close he was to his citizens.

“The exhibition will also be a live manifestation of King Faisal’s unflinching political support to the Palestinian cause and his strenuous efforts for the unity and solidarity of the Muslim Ummah,” he said.

Prince Turki said the exhibition would afterward go to Dammam, then to other stations inside the Kingdom before it is taken to the GCC and other countries of the world.

He said the visitors could obtain whatever information they may require about King Faisal in writing and in photos and manuscripts.