HRH Crown Prince Abdullah attended a launch party this week at the King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Dam in Bisha Valley. In dedicating the dam, Crown Prince Abdullah pushed the control button of the water drainage valve.

In his speech of welcome, Agriculture Minister Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Muammar reported that there are now fifty ground water purification stations in Saudi Arabia, one thousand smaller projects, and 570 water tankers serving three thousand villages throughout the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia's 25 desalination stations produce 520 million gallons per day. I

The King Fahd Dam in Bisha, which cost the equivalent of 41 million pounds sterling, provides a storage capacity of 325 million cubic meters of rain water. Minister Muammar went on to announce that in its budget for fiscal year 1999, his ministry has been allocated approximately 14 million pounds for a water purification system at the dam as well as a 40 km pipe to transfer water to the town of Bisha.

Crown Prince Abdullah also patronized the opening ceremony of Bisha Cement Factory. Industry Minister, Dr. Hashim Yamani, reported that the Industrial sector contributes over 13 per cent of non-oil GDP. National industries registered profits of some 4 billion pounds last year and the Kingdom currently exports to over 118 countries.