TAIF, 28 July — Prince Abdullah, the regent, will lay the foundation for the new complex of Umm Al-Qura University’s branch here today. The university complex will have eight colleges for boys and five for girls.
Dr. Nasir Abdullah Al-Saleh, acting president of the university, said the government had spent more than SR1.7 billion on the university’s education complexes in Abidiya, Zahir (Makkah) and Taif.
As many as 30,000 students have enrolled in Umm Al-Qura’s various colleges in Makkah and Taif. Of them 6,000 are at its Taif branch. “This year we’ll admit 6,300 students in our colleges,” Saleh said, adding that 500 students will be enrolled at the College of Medicine.
Prince Abdullah will also open the Islamic Museum at the historic Shabra Palace here on Monday.
Yesterday, the regent received Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, the grand mufti, Sheikh Saleh Al-Laheedan, chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, other senior Islamic scholars and top officials who came to greet him.
Taif Governor Fahd Muammar thanked the regent for agreeing to open the university complex, which is expected serve students of Makkah region in general and Taif in particular. The new complex is part of the government’s plan to accommodate more students in the country’s universities.
Dr. Saleh, acting university president, highlighted the tremendous development achieved by Umm Al-Qura University’s branch in Taif over years.
The government had donated King Saud’s palace in Hawiya for the university. It was renovated to accommodate both the colleges of education and science.
“The university is now renovating another palace to accommodate girl students,” Saleh said. “We have also constructed a number of workshops, lecture halls and other facilities for the Taif branch,” he added.
“We are thinking of building new colleges and faculties to cope with the growing demand for seats and specializations,” he said. The first college to be operational at the new complex will be the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences for Boys and Girls. Saleh thanked Prince Mishaal for donating SR50 million to establish the medical college.
Saleh emphasized the need for upgrading university educational programs. “No university could exist without promoting academic development and modernizing educational programs,” he said.
Umm Al-Qura offers higher studies in applied sciences, besides bachelor, master’s and doctorate degree programs.
