JEDDAH, 15 October 2007 -- Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, announced yesterday his ministry's plan to build housing units for 7,000 military officers in the Northwestern region.
The crown prince made the announcement while attending Eid festivities of the armed forces personnel at King Abdul Aziz Military City in Tabuk.
"I have already instructed Maj. Gen. Saad Al-Rumaih, director general of military works, to prepare designs of the new housing project," Sultan said while addressing senior military officers in the northwestern region.
The crown prince, who is chairman of Prince Sultan Charitable Foundation, also announced his charity's decision to build 150 furnished housing units for the poor in the Tabuk region.
Under the new project, 50 low-cost houses each will be established in Tabuk, Wajh and Dhuba.
The foundation had earlier established 100 housing units for the poor in Tabuk about five years ago at a cost of SR26 million. These houses have already been distributed among the region's needy.
The foundation, which was established by Sultan's sons, is carrying out a massive low-cost housing project in Asir, Tabuk, Najran, Makkah, Hail and Riyadh. The project includes mosques, schools, health centers and public utility services.
On Saturday evening, Prince Sultan met with a number of Islamic scholars and prominent personalities in the Tabuk region.
During the meeting, Tabuk Gov. Prince Fahd ibn Sultan briefed the crown prince on the projects implemented by Fahd ibn Sultan Social Program since it was established eight years ago.
The society constructed 18 mosques, eight desal plants, 300 housing units for the poor, 20 artesian wells and a water tank to supply water for 40,000 people.
Prince Sultan's visit to Tabuk also witnessed the launch of several projects at the Armed Forces Hospital. He laid the foundation stone for a maternity and children's center and a nursery.
The new facility including 150 beds for women and 60 beds for intensive care of newly born babies, will cost SR48 million. Sultan also laid the foundation for another project aimed at expanding a center for treating tumors and blood diseases.
Prince Sultan is expected to attend Eid festivities of armed forces personnel in the Eastern Province today. During his visit to the region, the crown prince will also open a number of military projects.
Prince Sultan, who arrived in the region yesterday, will also open the third international conference on engineering arbitration organized by the Saudi Engineering Society at the Prince Sultan Center for Science and Technology in Alkhobar on Tuesday, according to the society's chairman Abdul Rahman Al-Rabia.
© Arab News 2007
