By IINA,
Jeddah : The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has received a prime plot of land allotted to build its new headquarters from the Jeddah Municipality at a ceremony held here yesterday. The Municipality officials handed over the documents related to the site to senior officials of OIC including its Secretary General Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu. The ceremony was also attended by senior officials of the Saudi Ministry of Finance, the Jeddah Construction Development Company as well as officials from the OIC member countries.
Speaking on the occasion, OIC Chief Prof. Ihsanoglu expressed his thanks and appreciation to King Abdullah for his generous gesture, saying that “this explains why the Monarch has been awarded the King Faisal Award for the Service of Islam.” “The King’s role in the service of Islam and Muslims is best seen in his defense of Islam and Muslims all over the world and his efforts in clearing the atmosphere and mending rifts among Islamic countries and his support to them morally and financially,” he said adding that “the OIC is passing through a golden period under the rule of King Abdullah”.
The OIC Secretary General recalled that Makkah Governor Prince Khaled Al Faisal patronized a ceremony to launch the project of the new headquarters on March 3, 2008.
Several prominent figures, including Mayor of Jeddah Eng. Adel bin Mohammed Faqih, as well as many diplomats accredited to OIC member states and senior officials of OIC attended the ceremony.
He said that the architectural design work presented by an Austrian firm has been chosen from among some 100 entries presented by international companies and firms following an international bid to implement the ambitious project. The OIC chief noted that King Abdullah, in the presence of Muslim heads of State and leaders, laid the foundation stone for the new headquarters of OIC, on the sidelines of the Third Extraordinary Islamic Summit held in Makkah in December 2005. “King Abdullah also donated 40,000 square meters of land in south Jeddah for building the new headquarters, which will be another Islamic architectural landmark in the Kingdom,” he said.