King Abdullah pledges $266 million medical city in Bahrain

Manama: Saudi King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz has pledged to build a SR1 billion ($266 million) medical city as a gift from the Saudi people to Bahrain and to the people of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

The pledge was made by the Saudi monarch on the first day of a two-day visit to Bahrain, the first since he assumed power in August 2005.

The medical city will be built in Bahrain and will be under the Arabian Gulf University (AGU).

King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa expressed "profound gratitude" and said that all the GCC countries would immensely benefit from King Abdullah's initiative.

The Arabian Gulf University has the honour to name the city "King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Medical City" in recognition of pioneering role of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in the services of the Arab and Islamic nations," Dr Khalid Abdul Rahman Al Ohali, AGU president, said.

"The name is also a tribute to his generous support to common GCC development and to the Arabian Gulf University. We are confident that the university will be an outstanding centre for science and learning."