King Khalid award for Prince Sultan

Prince Khaled bin Sultan, deputy defense minister, received on behalf of his father the late Prince Sultan, this year's King Khalid Award (KKA) for national achievement at a ceremony here on Sunday. Crown Prince Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, presented the award to Prince Khaled. The high-profile awards presentation ceremony was attended by a number of princes, high-ranking officials and diplomats among other dignitaries. Prince Sultan's services in the philanthropic and humanitarian fields, particularly those contributing to the development of society, were recognized with this award. The award committee’s chairman, Asir Gov. Prince Faisal bin Khalid, outlined the manifold achievements of Prince Sultan. He also paid tribute to his efforts in supporting a number of chairs and research projects at various universities in the Kingdom. The award includes four categories of prizes for national achievement, social sciences, social projects, and accountable competitiveness. The winners receive SR1 million for national achievement, SR750,000 for social sciences and SR750,000 for social projects. Besides citation, the recipients also get a medallion and a trophy. In the Social Sciences Award category, the prize went to Abdullah bin Hussein Al-Khalifah. He was recognized for his research works and writings on the Saudi society and ways for further development. In Social Projects category, the award went to Makkah-based Al-Awn Center for the Disabled. The center was cited for its role in training and rehabilitating mentally handicapped children through the application of high-tech educational tools. The fourth category of award, King Khalid Award for Accountable Competitiveness, co-sponsored by SAGIA, was conferred on three companies for achieving the best performance and implementing programs for sustainable development. The recipients were the following establishments: First Prize, Marafiq Company for Electric and Water in Jubail and Yanbu (Marafiq); 2nd prize; National Company for Petrochemical (NATPET), and the 3rd went to Dr. Soliman Faqeeh Hospital. Crown Prince Naif said that Saudi Arabia had witnessed an era of a just king, referring to his brother King Khalid's era and this award is visionary in its objectives. He added that KKA has created an encouraging environment for social services and this support greatly the government programs. Earlier, Crown Prince Naif said in a statement: “Prince Sultan was my teacher and professor in every affair of my life.” He added that two of the late prince’s qualities of head and heart, among others, are worth mentioning. They were his staunch loyalty and dedication to the service of his king starting from King Abdul Aziz down to King Abdullah. The second aspect was his generosity and devotion to the cause of his people — big or small, male or female. To him, they were citizens’ problems and, therefore, his concern. Speaking on the occasion Asir Gov. Prince Faisal said that the achievements of the late Prince Sultan in the humanitarian services are countless, adding that  every part of Saudi Arabia benefited from these services. "Prince Sultan deserves the award for his legacies that speak for themselves," Asir governor said, adding that they have contributed greatly to humanitarian and charitable works in the Kingdom. Prince Faisal stressed that the Foundation would continue to support the government's efforts in supporting philanthropic, social and developmental projects to enhance social responsibility. “The King Khalid Foundation aims through this award to follow in the footsteps of the late King Khalid in encouraging institutional, social and voluntary work and honor individuals, businessmen, researchers and establishments working in this field,” said Prince Faisal. He added that the foundation also supports development and social research and studies that serve society and encourages social responsibility in the private sector.