It was reported yesterday that the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has agreed

to underwrite part of the costs of a symposium on databases in the Islamic world, to be

organized by the King Abdul Aziz Public Library in Riyadh from October 31 to November 2,

1999.  The symposium, which is expected to attract 120 scientists and researchers from all

over the world, aims to determine Islamic sources of information in accordance with

international criteria and standards, and to circulate their findings to scientific and

academic institutions. Databases will be classified according to subject and collected in

bibliographies covering industry, agriculture, economics, commerce, health and education.

In a related development, it was reported today that Crown Prince Abdullah, Deputy Prime

Minister and Commander of the National Guard, will patronize the IDB's 25th anniversary

celebrations to be held in Jeddah on October 2, 1999. Some 500 invited guests representing

national and international organizations are expected to participate in the anniversary

celebrations. The IDB is an international financial organization formed by a resolution of

the Islamic finance ministers at their meeting in Jeddah in December 1973, and aims to help

Muslim communities in non-Muslim countries as well as member states' economic and social

development.

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