Prince Dr. Abdulaziz Bin Ayyaf is currently the Mayor of the Riyadh Region. Prior to holding this position, he was a faculty member and, later, chairman of the Urban Planning Department in the College of Architecture and Planning at King Saud University. Drawing on his academic back- ground, Dr. Abdulaziz places great emphasis on creating gardens and sidewalks for the city and such activities as parades for families to enjoy with their children.One of his present projects is the 'green widening' pro- gramme of Riyadh, with the allocation of 20 million square metres, amid which the 1.7 million-square-metre King Abdullah Gardens are a centrepiece. These gardens were presented by the citizens of greater Riyadh to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, upon his accession to the throne.