Madinah, SPA:
Prince Abdulaziz Ibn Majed Ibn Abdulaziz, Governor of Madinah Province, announced on Sunday that Madinah is The Capital of Islamic Culture 2013.
The announcement came during a meeting with scholarly, literary, culture and information personnel in the presence of the Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz bin Muhaydin Khoja.
Addressing the meeting, Prince Abdulaziz Ibn Majed conveyed to the attendees the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud and his best wishes for Madinah as The Capital of Islamic Culture, pointing to a royal decree in 1431H approving the proposal of the Minister of Culture and Information for the nomination of Madinah as the Capital of Islamic Culture 2013 and for holding the 8th session of the Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers in Madinah according to a decision of Islamic Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (ISESCO).
He said, 'This comes within the interest and keenness of the Saudi Leadership of this blessed country in the service of Islamic nations and their causes,' indicating in this regard to the selection of Makkah in 2003 as the first Islamic city as The Capital of Islamic Culture and now the selection of Madinah as The Capital of Islamic Culture 2013 to embody its historical, cultural, economic, and social characteristics of this blessed city to be a capital of culture, a symbol of Muslim unity and its association with its tolerant Islamic religion. '
 Prince Abdulaziz Ibn Majed Ibn Abdulaziz expressed his thanks to and appreciation of the King, the Crown Prince and the Second Deputy Premier for their efforts in the service of the issues of Islamic nations, also expressing his thanks to and appreciation of Prince Salman Ibn Abdulaziz, the Governor of Riyadh Province, who is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of King Abdulaziz Foundation for Archives and Research and President of Madinah Research and Studies Center, and for the Minister of Culture and Information for the success of this event.
On his part, the Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz bin Muhaydin Khoja expressed his thanks to and appreciation of the King for approving the announcement that Madinah is The Capital of Islamic Culture 1434H.- 2013, and his keenness on making this grand cultural event compatible with the religious and scholarly status of Madinah, also thanking the Crown Prince and the Second Deputy Premier for supporting such a grand cultural event and the Governor of Madinah for patronizing it.