‘King Wants Solution To Floods’

RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah received Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, at the royal terminal of King Khaled International Airport here Friday night amid flag-waving and fanfare.

Prince Sultan, who came back to the Kingdom after fully recovering from a prolonged illness, was met at the airport by Prince Naif, second deputy premier and minister of interior, princes and a large number of officials. “A huge number of royal family members and almost all key government officials were present at (the royal terminal),” said Abdulrahman Al-Hazza, deputy minister at the Ministry of Culture and Information.

To mark the occasion, King Abdullah announced amnesty for some prisoners, while Prince Naif issued orders to organize a high-profile celebration at Prince Faisal ibn Fahd Olympic Complex on Sunday.

“All citizens are invited to attend the celebrations and the dinner that will be hosted on the occasion to mark the return of the visionary leader,” said Salih M. Al-Malik, a spokesman of the Ministry of Interior.

On arrival at the Royal Terminal, Prince Sultan was accorded a reception. He held brief talks with King Abdullah and Prince Naif.

King Abdullah was the first to greet the crown prince, who has been convalescing in Agadir, Morocco following surgery in the United States. The king last met with his second-in-command on July 23 when the Saudi leader traveled to Agadir to see the crown prince.

Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman, who has been staying with him for months during his convalescence, accompanied the crown prince on his return.

In a statement on arrival, Prince Sultan thanked King Abdullah for his kindness, constantly following his condition and visiting him while he was recuperating in Agadir after surgery. He said he was extremely happy to meet the king and Saudi people. He also thanked all those who visited him, telephoned him and sent him messages inquiring about his health.

He expressed his deep sorrow over the deaths and destruction caused by the Nov. 25 floods that hit many Jeddah districts, and commended the king for announcing compensations to victims and setting up a committee to investigate the reasons behind the catastrophe and identify those responsible.

“I am sure that King Abdullah will not be satisfied until drastic solutions are in place to prevent a repeat of such incidents in the future,” the crown prince said. He described King Abdullah as one of the most influential leaders in the world thanks to his political wisdom and commitment to the nation and humanity.

He also praised King Abdullah for successfully steering the Kingdom while the world is going through an economic crisis and for participating in the G20 summit to find viable solutions to end global recession. “The king also played a big role in achieving reconciliation among Arab countries,” he said.

Prince Sultan said the administrative reforms brought about by the king were aimed at improving efficiency of the executive.

To mark the arrival of Prince Sultan, the capital city was decorated with a large number of Saudi flags, giant portraits and billboards with footlights and banners.

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, congratulated the Saudi leadership and people on the return of the crown prince.

Saudis from all walks of life in Riyadh and other parts of the Kingdom have expressed their happiness over the return of the crown prince.

Expressing his joy on the arrival of Prince Sultan, Abdulrahman M. Abouammoh, chief of the Center for Higher Education, Research and Studies at the Ministry of Education, said: “The crown prince had been a major force to ensure all-round development of the Kingdom. We have been missing him since he left the country for medical treatment.” A large number of vehicles and cars driven by youngsters in the city were seen carrying posters of the crown prince. Both the Saudi print and electronic media have been competing with each other in carrying stories and pictures of the crown prince ever since the announcement about his returning home last week. Several Saudi Internet sites have been carrying messages and pictures of Prince Sultan. Almost all daily newspapers in the Kingdom published stories on Friday focusing mainly on his humanitarian qualities and leadership capabilities.