December 2009
Saudi Arabia has retrieved more than 10,000 of its artifacts from other countries, Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), said on Wednesday, Arab News reported today.
“Retrieving antiquities has now become a national issue,” Prince Sultan bin Salman said, adding that the government would continue its efforts to bring back Saudi artifacts scattered across the world.
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz announced a record budget of expenditures for FY 2010, totaling more than $146 billion, with more than a quarter of the funds designated for education. The FY 2010 educational funding represents a 13% increase over FY 2009.
“The allocation of SR137.6 billion ($36.7 billion) for education and training emphasizes the government’s desire to invest in Saudi citizens, considering human development as the core of real development,” said Dr. Ali Al-Attiyah, Deputy Minister of Higher Education.
The King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue will hold a forum in Al-Ahsa Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss a number of pressing issues affecting Saudi society, Saudi Gazette reported today.
The forum, which will be composed of 32 women and 31 men, will address cultural issues, including religion, education, media, citizenship and identity.
In recognition of his role in the support of libraries, information technology, cultural, intellectual and educational activities and his calls for moderation and tolerance, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has been awarded the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information (AFLI) prize.