Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector-General, last night presented the prizes to the winners of the International Awards of the King Faisal Foundation.  The prize for service to Islam was awarded to Juma Al-Majid Abdullah from the United Arab Emirates; for Islamic studies to Shaikh Muhammad Al-Albani from Syria; for Arabic literature, jointly to Professor Makarim Al-Ghamri of Egypt and Professor Said Allouche of Morocco; for medicine, jointly to Professor Patrick G. Holt from Australia and Professor Stephen T. Holgate from the United Kingdom; and for science, in the category of chemistry, jointly to Professor Ryoji Noyori of Japan and Professor Dieter Seebach of Germany. The prize includes a certificate and a gold medallion in addition to SR 750,000 (U.S. $ 200,000).

Director-General of the King Faisal Foundation and Governor of Asir Province Prince Khaled Al-Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz, thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz, his Crown Prince, and the Second Deputy Prime Minister, for their patronage of the foundation and the prize.  Referring to the Kingdom's ongoing centennial celebrations, he declared that the foundation is taking part in this. He concluded by wishing all scientists and thinkers progress and prosperity on the track of enhancing the richness of science, thought and culture, not only in the Kingdom but around the world.
At a press conference, Prince Sultan commented that the extraordinary meeting of the ministerial council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) would be for the purpose of exchanging views and carefully considering how to resolve the issue of the three UAE islands occupied by Iran.
Asked about the Lockerbie issue, Prince Sultan said the Kingdom has been exerting efforts with the aim of serving the Arab world in the first place, and working to bring about a just settlement.
Commenting on the upcoming visit to the Kingdom by U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen, Prince Sultan declared that the United States had never done anything to embarrass the Kingdom or its people.  In reply to a question on signals from the U.S. Administration that the situation in Iraq could lead to the overthrow of the ruling Iraqi regime, Prince Sultan stated categorically that Saudi Arabia is against any interference in the internal affairs of any country.

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