On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, the Royal Embassy of Saudi

Arabia today presented the University of Pennsylvania with a gift to mark the 250th anniversary of the

founding of its library. The presentation to President Judith Rodin of a special edition of the Holy Qur'an as well as an engraved metal scroll was made by Second Secretary Mr. Nail A. Al-Jubeir, on behalf of Saudi Ambassador to the United States Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Al-Jubeir said the gift was selected by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques as a fitting present to the university.  "If there is one item that best describes Saudi Arabia and

its people, it is the Holy Qur'an," he said, explaining that to understand the history of the Kingdom and its

political, economic and social development, it is necessary to understand that religion, which permeates

every aspect of our life, is also deeply rooted in every aspect of the Saudi State.  President Rodin expressed her appreciation to King Fahd for the thoughtful present and noted that the University of

Pennsylvania was among the first educational institutions to offer studies of Islamic and Arab culture.

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