THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES, KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ PATRONIZED HERE LAST NIGHT IN THE PRESENCE OF RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, THE INTERNATIONAL KING FAISAL AWARD CEREMONY. THE PRIZE WAS AWARDED TO TATARSTAN'S PRESIDENT MINTIMER SHIMIYEV IN RECOGNITION OF HIS ROLE IN THE SERVICE OF ISLAM AND MUSLIMS. THE FUNCTION WAS ATTENDED BY CROWN PRINCE SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, THE DEPUTY PREMIER, DEFENSE AND AVIATION MINISTER AND INSPECTOR GENERAL. SPEAKING ON THE OCCASION, PRINCE KHALED AL-FAISAL, THE GOVERNOR OF ASSIR REGION, REITERATED THE KEENNESS OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA IN FORGING COOPERATION WITH OTHERS. HE NOTED THAT TATARSTAN'S PRESIDENT HAS BEEN AWARDED THE PRIZE IN RECOGNITION OF HIS ROLE IN THE SERVICE OF THE NOBLE ISLAMIC VALUES. ON HIS PART, PRESIDENT SHIMIYEV, WHO WAS NOMINATED FOR THE PRIZE BY THE CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL OF MUFTIS IN RUSSIA, THE ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE (OIC), QASSIM UNIVERSITY AND THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES IN TATARSTAN, FOR THE INTERNATIONAL KING FAISAL PRIZE, THANKED KING ABDULLAH FOR DELIVERING HIM THE PRESTIGIOUS PRIZE. HE NOTED THAT IN THE LAST 15 YEARS THE NUMBER OF MOSQUES IN TATARSTAN JUMPED FROM 23 TO 1100, AND THE FIRST RUSSIAN ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY WAS OPENED IN KAZAN. THE FUNCTION WAS ATTENDED BY PRINCE MITEB BIN ABDULAZIZ, THE MINISTER OF MUNICIPAL AND RURAL AFFAIRS, PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL, THE FOREIGN MINISTER, OTHER PRINCES AND SENIOR OFFICIALS.
