Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, was named Personality of the Year at the opening function of the World Heritage Day celebrations yesterday organized by Dar Al-Uloom University and the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) in Riyadh.

Prince Salman also recently won the Lifetime Achievement Prize for Urban Heritage from the Heritage Charity Foundation.

SCTA President Prince Sultan bin Salman received the award on behalf of the crown prince.

“The government is committed to protecting the country's heritage. It is an important national project for the future of the country and for national solidarity. Our grandfathers sacrificed themselves for the stability of the state and they gave it to us, their sons, on a golden platter,” the prince said at a press conference after the inaugural function.

The prince said the Kingdom has many antique buildings and artifacts. It has also organized various cultural activities.

Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, a member of the board of directors of the King Abdul Aziz Public Library launched an Internet portal for the Encyclopedia of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the library headquarters in Riyadh yesterday.