I am nothing without my people: Abdullah

By P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News

JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday emphasized the strong relationship between the Saudi citizens and their leadership, saying: “I am nothing without my people.”

The king made this comment during an open and frank discussion with the chairman and members of the Shoura Council, the Saudi Press Agency said.

Saleh Bin-Humaid, chairman of the Shoura, noted the king’s remarkable role at the Arab economic summit in Kuwait last month when the king urged Arabs to open a new era of unity and solidarity and offered a donation of $1 billion for the reconstruction of Gaza. Abdullah told Shoura officials that what he did at the Kuwait summit was inspired by his “religious and national duty and Arab chivalry.” He said he has been carrying the issue of Arab reconciliation and unity in his mind for several years.

The king also approved yesterday a decision taken by the Higher Education Council to convert Effat College into a private university. “Effat College has fulfilled all conditions required for a private university,” said Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-Anqari.

Effat, the first college for women in the Kingdom, offers courses in architecture, electrical and computer engineering, business administration, computer science, information systems, English language and translation, psychology and early childhood education.

Abdullah also approved the establishment of a research and consultancy institute at King Faisal University; an e-learning center at Najran University; a deanship for university studies, and for academic quality and accreditation at the women’s section of Madinah Islamic University; and a deanship for information technology at Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh.

Meanwhile, Abdullah received the prize of the Humanitarian Service Society from Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the Disabled Children’s Association (DCA), and Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd, chairman of the prize committee. The king commended DCA’s services to handicapped Saudi children. He also received two children — Fahd bin Mansour Al-Hadour and Noura bint Abdul Aziz Al-Shaqri — who are cared for by the organization. The DCA currently runs six centers in different parts of the Kingdom, Prince Sultan said, adding that four centers are under construction. He thanked the king for accepting the society’s prize and praised his generous support for the organization.

Sultan referred to DCA’s pioneering role in conducting scientific research on disability and introducing an endowment system to finance its charitable projects.

In another development, Abdullah received Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali Al-Naimi, Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) Gov. Ali Al-Ghafees, and representatives of private companies that have established partnership with TVTC to open nonprofit institutes.