September 2008
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz congratulated Muslims on the Eid Al-Fitr in an address to the nation today.
In their remarks, which were read on Saudi TV by Minister of Culture and Information Iyad Madani, King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan said that Eid is a time when Muslims around the world are united by their faith.
“There is no difference between the rich and the poor, the old and the young, the white and the black except for piety,” they said.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz launched the second King Abdulaziz Endowment Project in Makkah September 23.
Located near the Grand Mosque, the project will be able to accommodate 55,000 pilgrims and visitors. It aims to ease overcrowding during peak hours and facilitate the movement of pilgrims.
According to Minister of Islamic Affairs Saleh Al-Asheikh, the 11 residential towers will cover an area of 30,000 square meters with 7,000 rooms in addition to 1,900 lavatories and parking facilities for 560 cars and 40 buses.
The third Prince Nayef International Prizes for Sunnah and Islamic Studies were awarded in Makkah today. More than 150 Muslim dignitaries from around the world were expected to attend the event, including Minister of Interior Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz.
An international conference on intelligent cities will be held in Makkah in January next 2009, the Arab News reported today. The objective is to transform Makkah into a smart city with advanced technological facilities.
The conference is expected to bring together a large number of experts from around the world to discuss the best ways to apply the intelligent city concept to Makkah.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) this week signed a landmark agreement to strengthen political, economic and cultural cooperation.
GCC Secretary-General Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah and OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu signed the agreement in Jeddah September 15.