RIYADH, 27 November 2006 - Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman, chairman of the King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Research & Archives (Darah), inaugurated the first symposium on the history of King Saud in the capital yesterday.
The event was attended by officials, senior princes and princesses, as well as members of the Shoura Council and researchers and academics.
The symposium includes a photo gallery gathered by the sons and daughters of the late king. The gallery is open for public attendance. Researchers, officials and authors from the Kingdom and other Arab countries will discuss the late king's life, his legacy in social, religious, economic, and political affairs.
Over 57 research papers will be discussed in the symposium. Princess Fahda bint Saud is scheduled to deliver the first presentation paper on the late king's legacy today at the King Faisal Auditorium Hall.
"When King Abdul Aziz (may he rest in peace) unified the country, he made sure that he established a righteous home which fears God and tenders to the people's needs based on justice. King Saud was a member of that righteous house," Prince Salman said in his opening speech.
"He was close to King Abdul Aziz and shared with his father many of the political and administrative responsibilities of the country," he said.
Prince Salman said King Saud continued to build and develop the Kingdom as well as serve the cause of the Two Holy Mosques and support Arab and Islamic causes.
"There is no doubt that this symposium documents these great achievements," Prince Salman said.
According to Dr. Fahd Al-Sammar, secretary-general of the King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Research & Archives (Darah), the idea to establish scientific symposiums of the late kings of Saudi Arabia began ten years ago. The idea was later approved by the Darah's Chairman Prince Salman, "which gave a boost to the project and speeded up its accomplishment," he commented in his opening speech.
In 2001, the Darah's board agreed to establish a series of symposiums that would reflect the lives of the kings of Saudi Arabia, starting with King Saud, the first king after the Kingdom's founder King Abdul Aziz.
"King Saud has lived in the hearts of the Saudi citizen as well as the Arab and Islamic citizen and is still remembered for his humanity, love, peacefulness and his patriotism to his country and the Arab and Islamic cause," Al-Sammari said.
King Saud is the first king to establish the Council of Ministers. He also was the father of education in Saudi Arabia as the Kingdom's first university was established during his reign.