JEDDAH: Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz has been appointed governor of the southern Najran province with the rank of a minister, a Royal Court announcement said yesterday.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah made the appointment issuing a Royal Decree on the recommendation of Interior Minister Prince Naif, the Saudi Press Agency said.
Prince Mishaal, who was minister plenipotentiary at the Foreign Ministry, replaces Prince Mishaal bin Saud, who was relieved from his post in November last year upon his request.
The appointment of Prince Mishaal is expected to boost the development of Najran, which has witnessed remarkable progress in recent years especially after King Abdullah ascended the Saudi throne in August 2005.
In November 2006, Prince Mishaal led the Kingdom's delegation to a meeting of UN General Assembly dedicated to discuss partnership for achieving millennium development goals.
While addressing the UN conference, Prince Mishaal highlighted the Kingdom's efforts to fight poverty in the country. He said Saudi Arabia had contributed $84 billion in foreign aid in the past 30 years.
Mishaal's appointment comes a month after King Abdullah reshuffled his Cabinet, changing four ministers and appointing, for the first time, a woman deputy minister. He also named a new chairman of the 150-member Shoura Council.
Najran is one of the Kingdom's least developed provinces. King Abdullah visited the region in November 2006 and launched a number of welfare projects as part of his plan to achieve balanced development in all parts of the country.
The king laid the foundation for a SR600 million complex of four university colleges in Najran and instructed higher education officials to convert the complex into an independent university.
The project, spread over 18 million square meters east of Najran city, will accommodate 12,000 students. It includes a medical city, a research center and a sports and recreation city. The king also launched a SR90 million project to expand Najran Airport. During the visit, King Abdullah ordered the release of a number of people held in connection with the Najran riots.
