Prince Al-Moataz Ibn Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz, Director-General of the Office of the National Guard in Washington DC, today stressed that the choice of Riyadh as the cultural capital of the Arab world for the year 2000 is a reflection of the prestigious role that Saudi Arabia plays in cultural fields.

It is an expression of the comprehensive cultural development that is taking place in the Kingdom, based strongly on Islamic principles, under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, and Second Deputy Prime Minister Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz.

Prince Al-Moataz went on to say that it is an international honor, a recognition by UNESCO of what the Kingdom has achieved, especially in the areas of science and technology as well as of culture. In addition, he said, credit for this choice is due to the extensive and faithful efforts of Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Riyadh Province.