King Abdullah Prizes for Translation given away

The Fifth King Abdullah International Prizes for Translation were given away in a function attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah and Mayor of Berlin Claus Wowereit in Berlin Monday evening.
Speaking on the occasion, Prince Abdul Aziz, who is also Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Prize, said the ceremony was the result of close relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Federal Republic of Germany.
“Custodian of the Two Holy King Abdullah has given special attention to this global prize, which is established in line with his initiative for dialogue among followers of religions and cultures. Translations bring about rapport and understanding which in turn spreads a culture of peace,” the prince said in his speech.
The prize distribution in Germany this year is also the result of keenness of the leaders in the two countries to achieve continuous progress of bilateral relations between the two countries and coordination in solving common issues, the prince added.
He said the award is one of the bridges of intellectual and cultural communication between the world cultures, and aims to disseminate knowledge and promote principles of mutual understanding and common human values for a bright future for this generation and future generations.
Mayor Wowereit expressed his happiness over hosting the prize distribution event in Berlin.
He commended the rapid development achieved by the Kingdom, which he saw personally during a visit in March. He suggested the convening of a large economic conference to boost Saudi-German cooperation in the field of energy and health, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The mayor also lauded the positive impact the exhibition of ‘Saudi Archaeological Masterpieces Through the Ages’ made on the German people when the exhibition was held at the Berlin Museum recently.
Then the prizes were handed over to the winners representing different languages.
In his speech, Advisor at the Royal Court Faisal Muammar, who is also General Supervisor of King Abdul Aziz Public Library, expressed his thanks to the king for instituting the prize.
Saudi Ambassador to Germany Osama Shobokshi and a number of senior German officials attended the function.