His Royal Highness Prince Nawwaf Ibn Faisal Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdulaziz received in his office His Excellency Dr. Abdurrahman Al-Shagawi, the IPA Director General. His Royal Highness welcomed His Excellency and commended the efforts of the IPA to train and qualify Saudi nationals through the academic and applied programs and sessions it offered to meet employment needs in all government agencies.

Earlier this week, the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) offered four 3-day applied sessions in Riyadh and Jeddah, in which a number of top leaders from various government agencies participated. In Riyadh, the IPA offered a session entitled "Strategic Planning," attended by some top leaders. The session aimed at improving the participants' skills in conceptualizing, designing, and drawing strategic plans at their organizations and supporting these plans with constant strategic behavior. The session had a number of detailed objectives, which included the development of strategic conceptualization and thinking skills, the development of strategic policy drawing skills, and the development of strategic plan design and marketing skills. The session was offered by IPA training faculty members Dr. Mushabab Al-Qahtani and Dr. Ibraheem Al-Milhem.

His Exellency Dr. Abdurrahman Ibn Abdullah Al-Shagawi, Director General of the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) described the speech addressed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Saudi citizens as the speech of a peerless leader talking to his citizens with honesty and faith, a fact which made his words touch their hearts and prompted them to respond with similar honesty and affection. Dr. Al-Shagawi added that the decrees issued by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques were ones for good and growth, and they had covered all citizens and institutions of this country. Their implications, the IPA director said, emphasized that citizens were the focus point for the nation's leader, and that the prosperity in which the Kingdom lived under this benign reign was like a blessed cloud whose rain brought fruit to all, with no distinction or exception; the decrees covered all sectors of society and brought cheerfulness and happiness to every house throughout the Kingdom.

The Journal of Administrative Development Journal, issued by the Institute of public administration (IPA), shows determination to discuss issues and topics related to administrative and development affairs. It attempts to represent the educational and training activities of the IPA in a considerable number of publications. The issue released this April presents a review of the documentary book prepared by the IPA in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of its establishment. The book is entitled: "The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz: A Comprehensive vision of the Administrative Development".

His Excellency Dr. Abdurrahman Ibn Abdullah Al-Shagawi, Director General of the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) will participate in the Fourth Symposium of Institutes of Public Administration and Administrative Development under the title, "Development of consultative work at the Institutes of Public Administration and Administrative Development in GCC Countries," to be held in the city of Kuwait on the 21stand 22nd of April, 2011.