A NUMBER OF ARAB DIGNITARIES AND OFFICIALS HIGHLIGHTED THE 76TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OCCASION OF THE NATIONAL DAY OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA.\ IN STATEMENTS TO THE SAUDI PRESS AGENCY, THEY DESCRIBED THE OCCASION AS MARKING AN IMPORTANT STATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE KINGDOM. THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE ARAB INTERIOR MINISTERS COUNCIL DR. MOHAMMED BIN ALI KOMAN SAID THAT EARLY LAST CENTURY KING ABDULAZIZ BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL SAUD, THE FOUNDER OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA, WAS ABLE TO UNIFY THE COUNTRY ONCE FRAGMENTED INTO HELPLESS TRIBAL COMMUNITIES. THE DAY WAS ALSO A PLATFORM TO STEP FURTHER TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT, PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY, HE SAID. THE SAUDI KINGS, UNTIL THE CURRENT REIGN OF THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ, FOLLOWED THE PATH OF THEIR FATHER IN DEVELOPING A MODERN NATION BASED ON ENFORCING SHARIA LAW AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, HE SAID. LEBANON'S MINISTER OF EDUCATION DR. KHALID GABBANI CONGRATULATED THE KINGDOM ON ITS NATIONAL DAY, LAUDING THE ACHIEVEMENTS ACCOMPLISHED BY THE CONSECUTIVE SAUDI KINGS IN ALL FIELDS. HE RECALLED THE SAUDI ASSISTANCE TO LEBANON IN TIMES OF PEACE AND WAR, CITING THE RECENT GENEROUS AND UNPRECEDENTED AID SAUDI ARABIA HAS EXTENDED TO LEBANON INCLUDING KING ABDULLAH'S GESTURE TO SHOULDER PAYING THE COST OF SCHOOL TUITION FEES FOR ALL LEBANESE STUDENTS. ON HIS PART, EGYPT'S MINISTER OF HOUSING AHMED ALMAGHRABI DREW THE ATTENTION TO THE CURRENT UNPRECEDENTED STATE OF PROSPERITY AND PROGRESS WITNESSED BY THE KINGDOM. HE SAID THIS GIVES SIGNIFICANCE TO TODAY'S CELEBRATIONS OF THE KINGDOM'S NATIONAL DAY. HE CITED THE EXPANSIONS OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES IMPLEMENTED BY THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES. --MORE
