Religious efforts at Prophet’s Mosque during the Saudi era highlighted

Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman attends the symposium titled ‘Religious efforts exerted at the Prophet’s Mosque during the Saudi era’ at the King Salman International Conference Center in Madinah. (SPA)
Updated 17 May 2019
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Religious efforts at Prophet’s Mosque during the Saudi era highlighted

The Naif bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud International Prize for the Prophetic Sunnah and Contemporary Islamic Studies organized a symposium on Thursday, called “Religious efforts exerted at the Prophet’s Mosque during the Saudi era.” 

Run in partnership with the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, under the patronage of King Salman, the two-day symposium is being held at the King Salman International Conference Center, in the presence of Eastern Province Gov. Prince Saud bin Naif, who is also chairman of the supreme commission of the prize, and Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman.

The head of Egypt’s Al-Azhar University, Mohamed Hussein Al-Mahrsawy, delivered the keynote speech, in which he said: “The symposium comes in the context of the Kingdom’s interest in the Two Holy Mosques, and its role in spreading moderation in Islam, correcting misconceptions, fostering competitive spirit among researchers and enriching the Islamic library.”

The secretary-general of the prize, Dr. Saed Al-Harthi, also delivered a speech, in which he said:  “Saudi Arabia and its leaders were honored with the gift of serving the Two Holy Mosques, their visitors and pilgrims. The Kingdom’s interest is not limited to the care of the mosques, but extends to education through lectures, courses and seminars organized by the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques. This symposium was organized to highlight the Kingdom’s mission toward Islam and Muslims.”

He extended thanks and appreciation to the king for patronizing the symposium, and to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prince Saud for their support.

Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, said: “This blessed symposium embodies our leaders’ interest in the Two Holy Mosques, and reflects their concern to take care of them, serve Islam and Muslims, and achieve worldwide security and peace.”


SDAIA president says Saudi Arabia is building an integrated AI ecosystem

Updated 20 February 2026
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SDAIA president says Saudi Arabia is building an integrated AI ecosystem

RIYADH: Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority President Abdullah Al-Ghamdi says that Saudi Arabia is moving steadily to establish artificial intelligence as a trusted national capability, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Guided by the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, Al-Ghamdi said the goal is to use AI to help develop government services, enhance competitiveness, build human capacity and improve quality of life through a comprehensive strategy based on three main pillars that unlock the potential of this technology and achieve sustainable developmental impact.

“The first pillar focuses on building human capacity and enhancing readiness to engage with AI technologies,” he said.

The second pillar is building an integrated national AI ecosystem that drives expansion and innovation by developing advanced digital infrastructure that enables various sectors to adopt AI applications efficiently, consistently and with effective governance, Al-Ghamdi said.

The third pillar, he said, is governance that ensures responsible and measurable AI through a national framework aligned with international standards.

This came during Al-Ghamdi’s speech at a high-level ministerial session held on Thursday on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.

He is heading the Saudi delegation, and the session saw broad participation from heads of state, decision-makers and technology leaders from around the world.

Al-Ghamdi also had a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening, discussed AI cooperation and expressed his gratitude for hosting the summit and for the hospitality extended to the participants.