Dear Dr. Al-Uthaiman,
The King Faisal International Prize committee created an unforgettable event for its 2005 prizewinners. As the wife of Science Prize honoree Frank Wilczek, I want to express our gratitude for all your thoughtfulness.
The Al Faisaliah Hotel made us feel very welcome, with flowers and fruit and warm, hospitable staff. I was very impressed by their technology too–the computerized bedside console for opening curtains was something I’ve never seen in another hotel.
You offered many opportunities to see the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with new eyes. Visits to a hospital, museums, and a suq offered a wide perspective. (I’m sorry we came too late for the desert picnic–people who had been there told us all about the adventures with camels.) We also enjoyed the chance for conversations over meals with local doctors and professors as well as many people who work for the King Faisal Foundation.
The ceremony itself was impressive and fascinating, while headphones offering instant translations between Arabic and English were a great success. It was also a pleasure to meet even more well-educated and dynamic Saudi women, including a young museum designer whose creations I hope to hear more of in the future.
Finally, it was a great honor for my husband and me to be invited to meet HRH Prince Bandar bin Faisal and to hear about the progress of King Faisal University, the projected first coeducational and private university in the Kingdom. I hope that this worthy project of the King Faisal Foundation meets with great success.
Best regards,
Betsy Devine