Sultan receives KSU honorary doctorate RIYADH – Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz was on Tuesday awarded an honorary doctorate degree by Riyadh-based King Saud University. Crown Prince Sultan expressed thanks to Allah Almighty for facilitating the services rendered to the country and for the efforts being exerted by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, in the service of education and citizens. Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdulrahman Al-Othman, President of King Saud University, said Crown Prince's support for the university enabled it to occupy the first place among Arab, Islamic, African and Mideastern universities, the 8th among Asian universities and the 380th among the world universities. The Crown Prince announced an annual donation of SR10 million for the university. – SPA Three projects win AGFUND prizes By Farah Mustafa Wadi JEDDAH – The Arab Gulf Program for United Nations Development (AGFUND) on Tuesday announced its annual international prize for development projects in combating visual disability aspects. This came during the 10th meeting of the awards committee presided over by AGFUND Chairman Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz. The committee has decided to increase the prize money to $500,000 for the three development projects. Among 35 projects from 24 countries, the project on the “sustainable control on river blindness,” designed by Helen Keller organization won the first prize. “An example for integration and self-reliance in eye care,” implemented by Egypt-based Al-Noor Charity, was awarded the second prize and “Al-Shifa (cure) Eye Trust Project,” implemented in Pakistan by General Dan Khan, was given the third prize. – SG Makkah hotel receives first GCTA license By Ahmad Al-Aryani JEDDAH – The General Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (GCTA) has issued its first license to a hotel in Makkah since taking over the responsibility for housing from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Ahmad Bin Muhammad Al-Isa, Director of Licences and Quality at the GCTA, handed over the operation license to the Director of Al-Safawa Royal Hotel. He said that the hotel was granted license after meeting the safety, health and security standards set by the commission. The new organizational structure drawn up by the Commission aims to improve the standard of hotel services and boost tourist attraction. – Okaz/SG Doctors can be hired from 67 countries By Waleed Al-Omair JEDDAH – Hamad Al-Mane', Minister of Health, has said that there are 67 countries from which the Kingdom is able to recruit doctors. The minister, speaking Tuesday at the Medical and Social Conference for Domestic Health Care, was responding to fears prompted by the Egyptian government's ban on recruiting doctors to Saudi Arabia. Al-Mane' also went on to announce that six million expatriates have been covered by health insurance, and that all expatriates were expected to have insurance by the end of the year, prior to providing all members of society with government health insurance. – Okaz/SG A mural for Haj By Saeed Abdulalal Al-Harbi MAKKAH – Over 60 talented students have created a Haj mural in the Al-Aziziah District here as part of a project entitled, “From All Corners of the World.” Adnan Rau'ha, the program supervisor at the Extracurricular Department of the Makkah Educational Zone, said the street-wall mural depicted the Holy City of Makkah, and that the 60 students worked together to produce it in less than six hours.
