Crown Prince Sultan, Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, has praised King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, for creating channels of dialogue between various faiths and for uplifting the country's culture. Prince Sultan said that this was done while maintaining the Kingdom's Islamic reputation and cultural identity. The Crown Prince's comments are contained in the introduction to a book entitled, “Dialogue according to the vision of King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques”, which was recently authored by the writer and journalist Sa'eed Bin Nasser Abu Milha. The Crown Prince stated that the “great effort made by my brother King Abdullah” in establishing channels for the spreading of the culture of dialogue, has to be documented as part of national and international history. He said this effort stems from the King's strategic thinking and vision. He said the King has raised the country to be among the most advanced nations and societies in the world. The Crown Prince said the King's message for constructive dialogue and mutual respect among the world's religions, has been well received internationally. This was conclusive evidence of its success, said the Crown Prince. “With Allah's blessings, he established the King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue in 2004,” said Prince Sultan. He said the major objective behind the center was to strengthen national unity and consolidate the concept of dialogue in Saudi society, according to the Shariah. He said the center has achieved success in handling several key national issues and topics. These issues all relate to the welfare and wellbeing of the nation's citizens, said the Crown Prince. He said the call for serious dialogue in the country was followed by a meeting between scholars and thinkers of the Muslim World at an International Islamic Conference for Dialogue in Makkah in 2008. He said this conference paved the way for King Abdullah's convening of the International Interfaith Conference. Prince Sultan said this call was well received all over the globe. It was held in Madrid and New York where it was sponsored by the United Nations. It then moved to Geneva and Vienna and other cities.
