2 December 2024, Riyadh,
The King Faisal Foundation hosted a distinguished delegation of students from Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University on Wednesday and Thursday, November 27 and 28, accompanied by the Foundation’s Secretary-General, His Highness Prince Mansour bin Saad Al Farhan. This visit came as part of the Ministry of Education’s plan to promote awareness of leading national institutions and their roles in scientific research and cultural development.
The tour began at the King Faisal Foundation’s Tower lobby, where the students were introduced to the design of the Foundation’s building, shaped like a book, symbolizing knowledge and learning, and designed by the renowned architect Kenzo Tange and inaugurated in 1982. The students also learned about the adjacent mosque, designed in the form of a pen and inkwell, representing the essential tools needed to write and create books, reflecting the Foundation’s mission centered around knowledge and learning.
During the tour, the students visited Al Faisaliah Tower, the first skyscraper in Saudi Arabia inaugurated in year 2000, and one of the Foundation’s prominent investments. It was brought to the students’ attention that the Faisaliah tower’s design was inspired by the shape of the Mosque of Omar ibn Al-Khattab in Al Jouf, emphasizing the connection between architecture and Islamic identity. They also learned about the Foundation’s investments, such as Al Faisaliah Tower, which is a part of Al Faisaliah District which includes Faisaliah Mall and the Mandarin Oriental Faisaliah Hotel, and how they play a vital role in funding the Foundation’s various projects.
The students also visited the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, one of the most important projects established by the King Faisal Foundation in 1983, where they explored a unique collection of original Arabic manuscripts, comprising approximately 28,500 titles preserved at the Center. They learned about the Center’s efforts to preserve this cultural heritage and make it accessible to researchers.
Another highlight of the tour was the visit to the King Faisal Prize headquarters, launched by the Foundation in 1979, where the students explored exhibition rooms dedicated to the Prize’s five categories: Service to Islam, Islamic Studies, Arabic Language and Literature, Medicine, and Science. They learned about the achievements of over 295 laureates since the Prize’s inception.
Dr. Jamila Abdullah Ahmed Al-Obaidi, General Supervisor of Public Relations and Institutional Vision at Prince Sattam University, expressed her admiration for the Foundation’s efforts in enhancing Saudi Arabia’s role in supporting education and scientific research on a global scale. She stated, “Such visits open vast horizons for our students and inspire them through the stories of national success.”
Some of these students that visited the Foundation were from the colleges of Medicine, Engineering, and Law. They shared their reflections on the connection between their fields and the Foundation’s work. The medical student highlighted the Foundation’s role as a model in supporting medical innovation through its prizes. The engineering student was inspired by the architectural design of the Foundation’s building and its urban projects, while the law student appreciated the Foundation’s role in fostering legal culture through the support of Islamic studies.
The tour concluded with the students expressing their gratitude for the warm reception and the valuable insights they gained, emphasizing that this experience would remain a source of inspiration for their professional futures.
