Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH - Minister of Culture and Information Awwad Al-Awwad made on Saturday an inspection tour of the media center at the Mercure Hotel in Dhahran to check the preparations made by the ministry to cover the 29th Arab Summit which will be held on Sunday.

As many as 600 journalists, including 423 from outside the Kingdom, representing leading international news agencies, print and electronic media, including those from the Arab and Islamic have arrived to report the event.

The minister was briefed on the functioning of the center, managed by 25 young Saudis who are making available all the required services and facilities for the media guests.

Al-Awwad examined the map of interactive summit statistics showing the number of media persons who arrived to cover the summit from all over the world.

He was also briefed on the measures taken to ensure accommodation for the media guests.

At least 450 media persons have been given accommodation. The minister inspected the technical facilities of Saudi Television to air the event in coordination with the Arab States Broadcasting Union.

The minister visited the venue of the summit at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) where he inspected the media center and the preparations made to hold the press conference at the end of the summit.

He also visited the conference hall to ascertain the technical facilities for the live transmission of the event.

Awwad urged all the ministry staff to exert utmost efforts to serve the media persons coming to cover the summit and welcomed all foreign journalists.