Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, on Monday described Saudi Arabia as a center of excellence being the cradle of Islamic faith, the home of the two holy mosques and a land of progress, prosperity and blessing.
Addressing a ceremony at Asharqia Chamber in Dammam for the distribution of Prince Turki bin Mohammad bin Fahd Excellence Award on Monday, Prince Sultan highlighted the Kingdom’s tremendous progress in the areas of education, science and technology.
“It is not surprising to celebrate the excellence award today, because we live, thanks be to God, in a country of excellence, the country of the Great Islam and the home of the two holy mosques. In such a country, which has been based on the great Islamic values, its citizens are nothing but excellent, every citizen is an example of excellence in his behavior, his lifestyle and knowledge,” he said.
“We celebrate something that should be normal in our lives, because every citizen should look to himself as an excellent person, at least by his efforts, in his behavior and morals and dealings with others. Today we live in such a blessed national unity, which has brought us together, especially in this place, the Eastern Province, because it includes a unique combination of people who represent different parts of the Kingdom and who live in this blessed area in peace and solidarity.”
The prince added: “We are distinguished because our country has emerged on a clear message upon which people have come together. People have not met on oil wells, or some kind of projects, rather they met during the time of poverty and deficiency. The people have met under the umbrella of Islam and the Islamic values and they met for the goodness in the first place.”
Prince Sultan emphasized the importance of reforms. “Reform is a key factor of stability on which this land lives, which made it a home for over eight million expatriates today, who look for means of decent living, security and safety. This reform has made us live in peace as brothers in a lasting love and solidarity.”
The SCTA chief urged Saudi students to excel in their studies and lives. “Success of our excellent sons and daughters is attributed to the family, parents especially mothers, because true mother is a school that produces capable men and women. Whenever someone attains success in his live, for sure you will find his mother behind his success.”
Prince Turki bin Mohammad bin Fahd earlier welcomed Prince Sultan, describing his presence as a personal honor to himself and to the trustees of the award, the winners, and to education in the province.
Prince Sultan: Saudi Arabia is a center of excellence
Prince Sultan: Saudi Arabia is a center of excellence
‘Cake not hate’ campaign becomes ‘Dates not hate’ in Madinah
- Dan said he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality and that his family was warmly welcomed
- He said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam
LONDON: A British autistic and non-verbal boy who has been visiting UK mosques and distributing cakes to promote solidarity amid an increase in far-right support in the country has taken his message of love to Madinah.
Joshua Harris, or “The Joshie-Man” as the 12-year-old is known to his social media fans, has handed out hundreds of his baked goods to worshipers at mosques in major British cities over the last few months.
The “Cake not hate” campaign came about after an Islamophobic attack on a mosque in his home city of Peterborough in October 2025.
Harris and his father visited Masjid Darassalaam, the mosque that was targeted, with cakes that the boy had baked and distributed them to the congregation soon after the attack. Since then, Harris has visited dozens of mosques in the UK.
On a recent trip to the Middle East, he and his father visited Madinah. In a local twist that pays tribute to the holy city’s famous date varieties including ajwa and ambar, Harris handed out dates to people in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque. The “Cake not hate” campaign became “Dates not hate” for Saudi Arabia.
“He was greeted really, really warmly. There were some really touching moments where people were kissing his hands and his head. It was really lovely,” his father, Dan Harris, said.
Dan, the founder of global charity Neurodiversity in Business, said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam.
“We met people from all around the world. It was amazing. It’s like the United Nations there, you get people from different countries and it just goes to show you that the Muslim community, or the Ummah more generally, is not a homogeneous group,” he said.
“We saw people from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it was really interesting for us.”
Dan said his visit to Madinah, considered the second holiest city in Islam after Makkah for Muslims, was “profound and life-changing.”
He added: “I would say it’s my favourite city in the world due to the peace and tranquillity I felt there.”
Dan added that he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality: “Everywhere we went, people were taking down my number and insisting that we come for dinner, insisting they pick us up from the location. They were extremely attentive to Joshie as well, making sure his needs were met. We felt a great sense of welcome, something Saudi Arabia is known for.”
