King Abdullah was a model Muslim ruler, seminar told

Speakers at a cultural seminar here on Thursday lauded the wise policies followed by King Abdullah to encourage dialogue so that mutual understanding and acceptance prevailed among all sections of society, instead of hostilities and differences, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The seminar, entitled “King Abdullah in their memoirs – testimonies”, was organized on the sidelines of the 30th National Festival of Heritage and Culture at Janadriyah.

The participants said the annual festival, which the Ministry of the National Guard started organizing with the support of King Abdullah, is a prominent venue for dialogue where intellectuals met and shared their views in all freedom and without fear, away from ideological or sectarian fanaticism.

Marwan Hamadah from Lebanon said during his rule King Abdullah was able to present a model of the Muslim ruler who is concerned with the welfare of fellow Muslims. “He supported them and protected their interests at all times,” Hamadah said.

He said Saudi Arabia was foremost among countries of the world in providing aid to the needy. He said Lebanon was only one of the countries that cannot forget King Abdullah’s stances and support during times of crises. “This generous assistance continued during the era of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman,” he said.

Hamadah spoke about two characteristics in King Abdullah’s personality – wisdom and principle. He said with his farsightedness King Abdullah realized that security of Arab and Gulf countries was inseparable.

Dr. Ahmed Al-Saif spoke about King Abdullah’s contributions to higher education. He said higher education with all its aspects received much care and attention during the reign of King Abdullah.

The foreign scholarship program supported by King Abdullah gave an opportunity to more than 150,000 male and female Saudi students to receive higher education in top universities of the world, Al-Saif said. Saudi students traveled to 26 different countries to learn languages and acquire skills, which helped them contribute to their country’s development, he added.

He pointed out that King Abdullah’s support to education has enabled Saudi universities to carry out their role perfectly.

Editor-in-Chief of Al-Jazirah newspaper Khalid Al-Malik spoke on the late king’s humanitarian stances. He said the king’s visit to the poor districts of Riyadh was evidence of the attention and care he had given to the underprivileged segments of society.

Al-Malik recalled accompanying King Abdullah on visits to several friendly countries. Al-Malik said during these visits he realized how humble the late king was.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Sulaiman Al-Yahya, director general of the Passport Department (Jawazat) inaugurated the Jawazat Exhibition at Janadriyah Thursday. The exhibition has a mobile unit offering biometric services, including the printing of muqeem cards, for expatriates.

Entry to Janadriyah village is reserved for families on Monday, Feb. 15, from 4.00 p.m. until midnight. The village will receive students from 9.00 a.m. until noon. The festival will continue until Friday, Feb. 19, SPA reported.