JEDDAH, 9 December — The national budget for 2002, which was unveiled yesterday, has allocated the largest amount — SR54.3 billion — for education and training, SR1 billion more than last year’s outlay.
The budget, with a SR45 billion deficit, has appropriated funds to establish 345 new schools and seven colleges in various parts of the country. It allocated a total of SR7.66 billion for the Kingdom’s eight universities.
The budget reflects the government’s continuing strategy of educating and training the national cadre to enable them to play a more effective role in the development process.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Finance and National Economy said the budget has made allocations to build new girls’ colleges and establish King Fahd Medical Center for Heart Surgery.
The government also announced the plan to open three medical and pharmaceutical colleges, three technical colleges and 11 girls’ colleges.
Allocations have been made to renovate and upgrade a number of educational institutions, and to provide them with more educational facilities — such as computers and laboratory equipment.
In its bid to further strengthen the education sector, the government has decided to give permanent jobs to 86,000 male and female Saudi teachers. Under the current Five-Year Development Plan (2000-2005) the government plans to create more than 817,000 jobs. Over the coming four-year period, the number of Saudi university graduates is expected to reach 4.53 million. Graduates from technical colleges are projected to double during the same period.
Following is a breakdown of the revenue and expenditure allocations in the new budget for public corporations and institutions:
Ports Authority (SR464 million); Saudi Arabian Airlines (SR10.96 billion); General Organization for Grain Silos and Flour Mills (SR980 million); Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SR2.23 billion); Railway Organization (SR303 million); Petroleum and Minerals (SR22.4 million); Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (SR2.17 billion); Saudi Standards Organization (SR81 million); and General Investment Authority (SR63.8 million).
King Saud University (SR2.3 billion); King Abdul Aziz University (SR1.45 billion); King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals (SR539.9 million); Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University (SR1.25 billion); Islamic University in Madinah (SR281 million); King Faisal University (SR723 million); Umm Al-Qura University (SR710.6 million); King Khaled University (SR407.4 million); Technical Education and Vocational Training (SR1.5 billion); and King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (SR 518.68 million).
Institute of Public Administration (SR223.58 million); Saudi Red Crescent Society (SR249 million); Military industries (SR710.6 million); Geological Survey Authority (SR120.6 million); Tourism Commission (SR79.12 million); Telecom Authority (SR70 million); and Pension Fund (SR31.65 billion revenue and SR14.8 billion expenditure).
