A Saudi Arabian foundation has given the University of California at Berkeley a $5 million grant to establish a new center for Middle Eastern studies.

The donation was made by the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Foundation.

The $5 million gift will create an Arab and Islamic studies program named after the foundation's benefactor in the school's existing Center for Middle Eastern Studies.

The program will fund a visiting professorship, a visiting scholars and graduate fellows program, research and information efforts and new facilities for the center.

The private foundation has ties to the Saudi royal family. Foundation executives include its secretary general, Prince Faisal, and Prince Bandar, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States.

UC Berkeley is conducting a $1.1-billion "Campaign for the New Century" capital drive, scheduled for completion in 2001.