We Are Proud of Najran People: King

JEDDAH, 1 November 2006 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah arrived in Najran yesterday on the first leg of a landmark tour of the southern region, which will also take him to Asir and Jizan. He will launch new health, educational and infrastructure projects worth SR3.35 billion in Najran.

Addressing a reception held in his honor, King Abdullah said the government would not differentiate between the Kingdom’s regions and citizens. “The people of Najran have been acting as a fortified shield of the state and courageous soldiers since the Kingdom’s unification at the hands of King Abdul Aziz and we are proud of the Najran people.”

The king said those who had conspired to create division between the state and its people had failed. “Such intrigues will not be successful in the future also. Our state is strong with its faith in Allah, strong with its unity and cohesion of its citizens,” Abdullah said and thanked the Najran people for the warm reception.

King Abdullah issued an amnesty allowing the release of a number of people held in Najran riots except those who had carried weapons. He also reduced the punishment of those sentenced to death to jail terms. He pardoned another citizen in Najran, who was sentenced to 14 years’ jail.

In a statement on the occasion, Crown Prince Sultan emphasized King Abdullah’s desire to achieve balanced growth for all Saudis and regions. “Balanced development for all regions is the government’s strategic goal,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the crown prince as saying.

Sultan described the king’s current tour of Najran, Asir and Jizan as a tour heralding progress. “The tour reflects the king’s desire to meet Saudi citizens in all regions,” he pointed out. The new educational and infrastructure projects ordered by the king reflected his desire to achieve balanced growth in all parts of the country. He said the new projects would create job opportunities for thousands of young Saudis. “As a result, there will not be any unemployed among the Saudi youth as all of them will be provided jobs within the next five years,” the crown prince said.

Sultan emphasized the importance of manpower development and economic progress in order to ensure a bright future for the Kingdom. “Consequently, manpower development in all regions and all sectors including the armed forces is given priority in King Abdullah’s plan,” he said.

Sultan thanked the king for allocating additional budgets for the development of the armed forces in the next five years.

“Development of armed forces represents the core of the equation to bring about a comprehensive and balanced development,” said Sultan, who is deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation.

He said all citizens would benefit from the development projects of armed forces such as military cities, hospitals and their humanitarian services. In this respect, he noted the role of Saudi Air Force planes in transporting relief supplies to victims of natural calamities within and outside the Kingdom.

Earlier on arrival at Najran Airport, the king was greeted by Prince Sultan, Gov. Prince Mishaal ibn Saud and senior officials. The king was accompanied by princes and senior Cabinet members including Prince Miteb, minister of municipal and rural affairs, Interior Minister Prince Naif, Intelligence Chief Prince Muqrin, and Prince Miteb ibn Abdullah, assistant commander of the National Guard for military affairs.

Other top officials traveling with the king include Prince Saud ibn Abdullah ibn Thunayyan, chairman of the Royal Commission, and Prince Sultan ibn Salman, secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism, Labor Minister Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, and Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani. “Ever since the king announced his plan to visit all regions of the Kingdom, after taking power in August 2005, we have been looking forward to this day,” Najran Gov. Prince Mishaal said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.

“Our people in Najran have been waiting for a long time to receive the king and the crown prince. This is a memorable day in history and this makes me the happiest among them,” the governor said.

Prince Mishaal said the new projects to be dedicated by the king would contribute to the progress and prosperity of Najran. The king will lay the foundation stone for the expansion of Najran Airport, which is to cost SR100 million. The airport project includes passenger lounges, executive offices, infrastructure and parking facilities.

According to Prince Mishaal, the government has so far spent more than SR13.5 billion on various development projects in Najran. At present, there are 670 schools with 104,460 students and 8,898 teachers.