UNDER THE AUSPICE OF THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ, MINISTER OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION IYAD MADANI INAUGURATED HERE ON TUESDAY EVENING THE INTERNATIONAL RIYADH BOOK FAIR. THE INAUGURAL CEREMONY OF THE FAIR, ORGANIZED BY THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION, WAS ATTENDED BY PRINCE TURKI BIN SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, THE ASSISTANT MINISTER OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION. THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ IN HIS SPEECH ON THE OCCASION, READ ON HIS BEHALF BY IYAD MADANI, WELCOMED THOSE WHO ARE CONCERNED WITH THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS AT THIS GREAT CULTURAL EVENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL RIYADH BOOK FAIR. HE SAID THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA WITNESSED FEW DAYS AGO THE ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIONAL FESTIVAL FOR HERITAGE AND CULTURE AT JANADRIYAH, AND NOTED THAT THE NATIONAL FESTIVAL FOR HERITAGE AND CULTURE WAS CHARACTERIZED BY ITS DISTINGUISHED CULTURAL ACTIVITIES. KING ABDULLAH POINTED OUT THAT THE BOOK FAIR AND JANDARIYADH FESTIVAL PROVIDE A CLEAR EVIDENCE FOR THE AUTHENTIC CULTURAL ACTIVITY BEING WITNESSED BY THE KINGDOM. HE NOTED THAT CULTURE CONSTITUTES A GREAT HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT, AND IT STANDS AS A SYMBOL FOR THE GREATNESS OF THE NATIONS. THE KING SAID THE BOOK CONSTITUTES ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT FEATURES OF CULTURE IN THE ARAB AND ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION. 'THE BIOGRAPHICAL BOOKS DEMONSTRATE LOVE FOR THE BOOK AND ITS CLASSIFICATION, READING AND ACQUISITION, AND MOREOVER THEY DEMONSTRATE THE GREAT ATTENTION GIVEN BY THE ARAB AND MUSLIMS SOCIETIES TO THE BOOK . THE MONARCH SAID THE ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK FAIR REFLECTS THE STATUS OF THE BOOK IN THE ARAB AND ISLAMIC HERITAGE, AND IT ALSO CONSTITUTES A FEATURE FOR PARTICIPATION IN OPINIONS MAKING AND THEIR ACCEPTANCE. 'THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA WAS AND WILL REMAIN CONCERNED WITH THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND IT WILL REMAIN AWARE OF THE ROLE OF CULTURE IN DEEPENING THE ORIGINAL VALUES OF THE ARAB AND MUSLIM SOCIETIES AS WELL AS AWARE OF THE ROLE OF CULTURE IN ENHANCING THE NATIONAL UNITY, AND TIES IN THE ARAB AND MUSLIM WORLD IN ADDITION TO ITS ROLE AS A WAY FOR BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN THE WORLD CIVILIZATIONS AND SOCIETIES', KING ABDULLAH SAID. THE KING PRAYED TO ALMIGHTY ALLAH TO ENABLE THE MUSLIM NATION TO GO ON THE PROPER PATH AND DEEPEN THE GREAT VALUES ADVOCATED BY THE PROPHET OF ISLAM, PEACE BE ON HIM, WHO WAS A PROPHET FOR THE MANKIND AND MERCY FOR THE ENTIRE PEOPLE. --MORE
