DAMMAM, 9 November 2005 — Saudi Arabia has not yet decided from where to purchase the fighter planes it wants to modernize its air force with, Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, said yesterday.
Speaking to reporters after launching a state-of-the art science and technology center in Alkhobar, Prince Sultan emphasized the government’s plan to strengthen the air force as well as security forces.
There were press reports that the Kingdom was holding talks with Britain to purchase Typhoon fighter planes. “The British side has openly expressed its desire to supply Saudi Arabia with these planes, like any of the many friendly countries which produce sophisticated weapons systems,” a Defense Ministry official said in a previous statement.
The Saudi official, however, said the government did not ask for nor receive any official or unofficial offer from the British side on the subject.
Speaking about his upcoming visit to Cairo, Prince Sultan said the visit was aimed at holding consultations with President Hosni Mubarak and exploring prospects of expanding military cooperation between the two countries. He said Saudi Arabia would not harm any country.
The Sultan Science & Technology Center opened by the crown prince will make learning fun and interesting and serve more than 300,000 visitors annually. Some of the main fields of science and technology that will feature at the center include the living world, the human body, the Arabian Gulf, earth sciences, meteorology, astronomy, physics, mathematics, transportation and domestic technologies, as well as space exploration and many futuristic technologies.
“The center uses interactive and hands-on exhibits that engage visitors and makes learning science an enjoyable family experience,” said Riyad Al-Adel, its director general.
The center is one of the main projects of the Prince Sultan Charitable Foundation, said Majed Al-Qasabi, director general of the foundation, adding that it was established at a cost of SR230 million.
The center aims at enhancement of knowledge and stimulating interest in the innovative fields of science and technology, Al-Adel said. “It will make visitors more literate in the key fields of science and technology, more appreciative of the importance of science and technology in their daily lives, and inject joy, enthusiasm, and a sense of discovery,” he said.
Spread over an area of 21,700 square meters in Alkhobar Corniche, the center includes permanent exhibition halls, constituting about 40 percent of the building. Six independent theme halls will house exciting, interactive exhibits focusing on many of the science and technology ideas and concepts that are important to the visitors, Al-Adel said. The center’s educational unit will complement the permanent exhibits by providing interested visitors with additional focused scientific experiences based on their own interests and hobbies.
