Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has stressed the importance of stability and security which Saudi Arabia has been endowed with, referring to them as a great blessing from Allah the Almighty which should be appreciated. In a heart-to-heart speech by King Salman to an audience of Madinah residents attending the ceremony for launching development projects, the King said that it pleases and honors him to be among the people of Madinah. He also expressed great privilege acknowledged by his family on being the Custodians of the Two Holy Mosques. King Salman added that each of the Royal family and the people of Saudi Arabia serve the Two Holy Mosques, and that it is by Allah's grace that each of the pilgrims, minor or major (Umrah or Haj), are safe and reassured which is considered a holy bestowment everyone must recognize and appreciate. [caption id="attachment_64803" align="aligncenter" width="640"]img src="http://saudigazette.com.sa/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Made-in-Madinah-1024x766.jpg" alt="King inaugurates "Made in Madinah" stores. Madinah Emir Prince Faisal Bin Salman also attended the function. — SPA photos" width="640" height="479" class="size-large wp-image-64803"/ King inaugurates "Made in Madinah" stores. Madinah Emir Prince Faisal Bin Salman also attended the function. — SPA photos[/caption] The projects inaugurated under his patronage are estimated to be worth over SR4 billion and SR114 million and include projects encompassing sectors such as health, education, culture, electricity, water and other utilities. On his behalf, regional cleric Osama Jaafar said that holy sites have received unparalleled care from King Abdulaziz, founder of the Kingdom, and his dutiful sons. He further added that the long march toward development and construction never ceased in the journey of fulfilling the will of Allah the Almighty. Jaafar also said that all developments have added to the pilgrims' comfort. [caption id="attachment_64804" align="aligncenter" width="640"] King Salman arrives at the Quba Mosque. [/caption] Later, accompanied by princes and ministers, King Salman visited Quba Mosque and was received by Sheikh Saleh Al-Maghamsi, the mosque's imam and preacher. Quba Mosque is the first mosque to be built by Muslims. The Prophet (pbuh) himself laid the foundation stone of the mosque and laid its first tiles and his Companions completed it. The mosque stands out along the Hijrah Road that links Makkah and Madinah. Located about 3.5 km south of the Prophet's Mosque, the mosque can be seen from quite a distance. The mosque witnesses an influx of worshipers throughout the year, but the numbers increase in Ramadan. The Prophet (pbuh) used to visit Quba quite often to pray at the mosque, especially on Saturdays. It is described in the Holy Qur'an as the first mosque founded on piety. [caption id="attachment_64805" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman prays in the Quba Mosque in Madinah, Thursday night. [/caption] According to a saying of the Prophet (pbuh), whoever makes ablution at his home, travels to Quba Mosque and prays will receive a reward equal to performing one Umrah. The Saudi government has given special care to this mosque and reconstructed it in the best form following Islamic architectural designs, considering its stature and position among Muslims around the world. It is currently the second largest mosque in Madinah after the Prophet's Mosque. In another development, King Salman issued seven Royal Decrees stipulating the appointment of new presidents in a number of universities in Saudi Arabia. Among the package of development projects the King launched Thursday are education projects worth SR341 million. These include 45 education buildings. Of these, 25 are for boys at a cost of SR174 million and 11 are girls at a cost of SR77 million. Aside from these, three education projects are in Al-Hinakiyah, three in Wadi Al-Far' governorate, six new education projects in Khaibar and five others in Badr.
