TABUK, 19 December 2001 — Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, yesterday opened the first phase of a charitable housing complex here, a project of the Prince Sultan Foundation.
Keys of 30 villas built in the first phase of the project were handed over to beneficiaries, carefully selected from the poor families in the region, at a function at the project site. Another 70 villas will be completed and handed over to deserving people within a few months.
The total cost of the project is estimated at SR27 million.
On his arrival at the venue of the site in the eastern part of the city, Prince Sultan was received by Tabuk Governor Prince Fahd ibn Sultan and Secretary-General of Prince Sultan Foundation Prince Faisal ibn Sultan. Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ali Al-Namlah was also present.
Prince Sultan inspected the interior of a villa and the furniture and utilities available. The project also included separate schools for boys and girls, a mosque and a health center. The beneficiaries also received ownership deeds of the villas.
Prince Sultan conveyed the Eid greetings and congratulations of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, to military personnel stationed at the King Faisal Air Base.
Prince Sultan also opened yesterday an air control system at the King Faisl Air Base. The prince inspected the towers and other buildings of this modern military facility. Prince Fahd ibn Sultan, Prince Juluwi ibn Musaed and a number of other princes attended the function.
Earlier on Monday night, Prince Sultan opened the Prince Fahd Social Center in Tabuk, the second biggest in the Kingdom after the Prince Salman Social Center in Riyadh.
Following the opening ceremony, Prince Sultan was briefed on the equipment and facilities at the center which would serve as a cultural and social center.
Addressing the function, Prince Sultan said Riyadh Governor Prince Salman was the first to set up social centers in the Kingdom with his personal funds.
Prince Fahd then presented a memorial gift to Prince Sultan on behalf of the people of Tabuk.
Speaking on the occasion, Labor and Social Affairs Minister Ali Al-Namlah announced a SR1 million annual allocation for the center.
There are nine charity societies in the Tabuk region — three of them under the foundation. The other six centers have a combined income of more than SR30 million and expenditure of about SR27 million, Al-Namlah said.
Princes, high-ranking officials and people of the region attended the event.
Also yesterday, Prince Sultan opened a cultural center named after him. The center, described as the pride of the city, was built according to the latest international architectural standards.
"The center, which will be the pride of every Saudi citizen, has been named after Prince Sultan as he had agreed to cover three-fourths of the cost of construction," Prince Fahd had said in an earlier statement. The center aims at developing the cultural, literary and social talents of the people in the region.
Prince Sultan later hosted a dinner at his palace here in honor of the people of the region. The region’s top judge Abdulaziz Al-Humaid, members of the provincial council, senior officials and tribal leaders attended the dinner.
Prince Sultan was to leave for Dammam later in the day to take part in Eid festivities organized by the armed forces stationed in the region. He will attend a civic reception at the Dammam Corniche today.
He will also be the chief guest at a fireworks show that will form part of the Eid celebrations. The prince will remain in the Eastern Province until Saturday.
