Jeddah, Dec 22, SPA -- Minister of Culture and Information Iyad Madani held here last night a reception party in honor of the members of the media delegations who had particiapted in the coverage of this year's Hajj season and the guests of the Ministry of Culture and Information.

The event was attended by Prince Turki bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Assistant Minister of Culture and Information.

A speech ceremony was held on the occasion.

The speakers included Director of Algerian News Agency Nasir Abdulqadir, Syrian university professor and media expert Dr. Amal Dakkah, who praised the Saudi services provided to the pilgrims.

In his extemporary speech minister of culture and information Iyad Madani thanked all those who had positively responded to the invitation of the ministry of culture and information and come as guests of the ministry.

He prayed to Allah Almighty to accept their Hajj .

Madani noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been honored by the service of the pilgrims.

He added that 'we have heard the speech of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and his call for tolerance and dialogue and the importance of directing our attention to the common grounds among the religions and cultures'.

He added that 'it is our duty as media men to highlight that call in the information media'.

Madani pointed out that it was a good opportunity to meet at Arafat and to exchange views on issues that concern the Muslims.

The minister said one of the brothers has proposed that the ministry of culture and information to organize a seminar which has a cultural and information dimension at each of the Hajj seasons, and added that the ministry of culture and information will study the proposal and crystallize it in the suitable shape.

Madani hailed the participation of the various information media in the coverage of this year's Hajj season, notably the foreign media like CNN and BBC, the fifth channel of the French television, New Delhi, Russia's Channel, Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, BBS and other information media.

On his part, undersecretary of the ministry of culture and information Dr Salih al-Namla welcomed the guests and congratulated them on the occasion of eid-al-adha.

He noted that the Kingdom has been honored by the service of the pilgrims and added that the Kingdom is keen on enabling the pilgrims to perform the rituals of Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, in comfort and ease.

Dr al-Namla pointed out that the ministry of culture and information is keen on hosting the literary men and intellectuals as well as the researchers and media men from all corners of the world and enabling them to perform Hajj.

Dr al-Namla thanked all the sectors which had participated in the service of the guests including the television, the radio, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the departments of external and domestic information, the administrative affairs, and the engineering affairs.

Minister of culture and information in his extemporary speech on the occasion added that the ministry of culture and information does not impose on the media its opinion and does not dictate its idea on the foreign media.

I hope that those who think that we dictate our ideas on the media will change their idea in this respect, said Madani and added we leave the door open for the media to say what it wants to say, and we extend all possible facility to the media to say what it wants expecting that the media men will speak in an objective manner.

Madani thanked all those who had helped the guests to perform their duty as regards the coverage of the Hajj season.

© Saudi Press Agency 2007