By SIRAJ WAHAB | ARAB NEWS
DAMMAM: Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, arrived in the Eastern Province on Monday evening to a warm and royal welcome. This is his first visit to the region after his return from Morocco in December 2009 following an yearlong medical trip abroad.
The crown prince, who is affectionately described as “Sultan Al-Khair,” had undergone a successful surgical operation in a New York hospital in February 2009 and had later spent several months recuperating in the Moroccan city of Agadir.
“This is a special occasion for us,” said businessman Saleh Al-Dossary. “We prayed for his complete recovery and Alhamdulillah he is back among us,” he said.
On arrival at the King Abdul Aziz Air Base in Dhahran, he was received by a number of princes and senior officials. Prominent among them was Eastern Province Gov. Prince Muhammad bin Fahd.
All major streets and thoroughfares in Dammam and Alkhobar have been decorated with huge billboards of the crown prince, creating a festive atmosphere.
Local newspapers have taken out special supplements to mark the crown prince’s visit. “This is a special occasion and the media are out to highlight it in a big way,” said journalist Mutlaq Al-Anazi. Police cars, with their beacons flashing uninterruptedly, were out on the main streets in huge numbers. Security was tight, especially around the Eastern Province governorate in Dammam.
The crown prince is expected to announce a number of welfare projects during the visit. He will visit Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Science & Technology Center, which is popularly known as Scitech. Located on the Alkhobar Corniche, it is one of the major projects executed by the Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud Foundation.
The center is affiliated to the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and was launched with a view to educating the community, specifically the youngsters, about the basic applications of science.
Nearly one million Saudis and expatriates have so far visited the center and took part in its various scientific and research activities.
The crown prince will visit the center Tuesday to underline the important role it has played and is playing in creating scientific awareness among the country’s younger generation.
A series of programs have been lined up at the center to welcome the crown prince.
Arab News
