Book sheds light on Prince Sultan’s life

An "intangible feeling of trust and unprecedented brotherly bond" existed between the late Crown Prince Sultan and his brother and Minister of Defense Prince Salman, according to a comprehensive bibliography released by the Riyadh-based King Fahd National Library (KFNL) Tuesday. Prince Salman wrote the preface of this special edition, in which he spoke about the late prince, seen as a great visionary leader ahead of his time."This special edition contains the bulk of all the writings that have so far focused on the life and achievements of late Crown Prince Sultan, who was one of the Arab world's most revered statesmen," said Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Rashed, KFNL librarian. Printed on glossy paper in large format, the publication is a record of Prince Sultan’s achievements, his landmark trips, his charitable work and rare pictures of the humanitarian prince.The project, which was accomplished by a dedicated team at KFNL, "focuses on the relationship of faithfulness between the late Prince Sultan and Prince Salman. … During Prince Sultan's prolonged illness, Prince Salman always accompanied him and stayed with him until his sad demise," said Al-Rashed.Crown Prince Sultan, whose central role in the security of this nation and his role in charitable activities have been widely applauded, died on Oct. 22.Referring to the preparation of the bibliography, which also contains the late prince's biographical details, a KFNL statement said this special edition has culled materials from more than 1,000 sources besides thousands of books, research papers and reports published in the newspapers and magazines across the world.The KFNL, which is authorized to publish national bibliographies, has achieved yet another milestone by publishing this special edition, said the statement.The KFNL has the largest collection of books and periodicals in addition to an online database among the Kingdom’s libraries. It boasts more than 1,300,000 titles and information items, as well as hundreds of thousands manuscripts and historical documents.Every publisher is bound to deposit a few copies of his/her books or publications at the library under a special depository law of the Kingdom.The library has also set up a National Archive of Historical Photos, which has preserved a large number of important and rare photographs about the Kingdom and its leaders.