RIYADH, 23 January 2007 — Governor of Makkah Prince Abdul Majeed was accorded a warm welcome by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan, other princes and top officials when he returned home yesterday from the United Kingdom after recovering from an illness.
Prince Abdul Majeed is expected to arrive in Jeddah on Friday and will return to his office at the Governorate of Makkah Saturday, informed sources said. Prince Abdul Majeed, who left London earlier yesterday, was accompanied by Prince Faisal ibn Abdul Majeed, Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Faisal and Prince Turki ibn Faisal.
Prince Abdul Majeed, who was appointed by a royal decree as the governor of Makkah in 2000, is considered a pro-business governor who has also called for greater participation of women in public life. “Prince Abdul Majeed has been a major supporter of Saudi businesswomen,” said Hussa Al-Aun, a member of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).
Under his directive, the JCCI’s Khadija bint Khuwailid Center for Businesswomen in Jeddah was established in 2003.
Prince Abdul Majeed also gave instructions for the construction of the first racetrack in the Kingdom, which was built in Jeddah.
The prince was the first to encourage young men and women to take blood tests before marriage to curb the spread of blood diseases. The procedure has now become obligatory.
Born in 1943, the prince received his education from some of Saudi Arabia’s well-known religious scholars at that time, such as Sheikh Abdullah Khayat. He then joined Al-Anjal School in Riyadh where he completed his intermediate studies. He joined the Saudi Navy in 1954 before traveling to England to complete his education.
His first government post was in Tabuk, where he was appointed governor of the region in 1980. During his time, he promoted the economic drive in the region, encouraging local investors to take the opportunity of its vast lands for agriculture purposes. The area soon became a center for agricultural products, some of which are being exported.
When Prince Abdul Muhsin, former governor of Madinah, passed away, Abdul Majeed was named his successor in 1986. He was personally given the responsibility by King Fahd to oversee the largest expansion in the history of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
Prince Abdul Majeed was credited with attracting new investments to the city and initiating several new major public projects. Prince Abdul Majeed was appointed governor of Makkah following the death of Prince Majed. In addition to his governor’s post, Prince Abdul Majeed was appointed by a royal decree as the chairman of the Makkah Development Authority. He initiated some of the biggest construction projects that are yet to be finished, including the Jabal Omar project in the holy city.
He is also the honorary president for a number of public and private institutions, such as the Jeddah Holding Company, the Charitable Society for Helping Youths Marry, the Committee for Helping Prisoners and the Needy, the Committee for Patients’ Friends, the Charitable Society for the Memorization of the Holy Qur’an, the Jeddah Science Club, and many others.
