Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector-General, today laid the foundation stone for the King Fahd Mosque in Hail, a facility which will have a capacity of 6,000 worshipers and includes a library, a school for memorization of the Holy Qur'an, and an institute for teaching the principles of Islam to members of expatriate communities.  The project will cost SR 76 million (U.S. $ 20.27 million). Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki, noting the Saudi state's roots in the principles of Islam, and the Saudi leadership's concern with implementation of its rituals and preservation of deep-rooted Islamic values, commented on the important role to be played by the King Fahd Mosque in Hail in the service of Islam and Muslims.

During his visit to Hail, Prince Sultan, together with Governor of Hail Province Prince Meqrin Ibn Abdul Aziz, also inaugurated a polytechnic.  Speaking on this occasion, Governor of the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training Mohammed Al-Dhal'an praised the great attention given to the organization by the Saudi leadership, noting that the first industrial school was set up in Jeddah in 1950 and the first polytechnic in Riyadh in 1982. For his part, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Musaid Al-Sinani highlighted the remarkable development witnessed by the Kingdom, noting that in line with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz arrangements are underway to replace foreign manpower with the qualified national cadres.

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