JEDDAH, 30 August — Prince Abdullah, the regent, has issued an order to the Ministry of Higher Education to prepare a study on the feasibility of opening an affiliate of Arab Open University in the Kingdom.
This was disclosed by Khaled Al-Sultan, undersecretary for educational matters at the Higher Education Ministry, while addressing a seminar on higher education at King Abdul Aziz Library in Al-Marba on Wednesday, Al-Watan reported yesterday.
The ministry is expected to complete its report within a month, Al-Sultan said.
The undersecretary also announced that higher authorities have approved the start of classes at Al-Jouf College of Sciences, a new affiliate of King Saud University. However, classes will start only after a year.
Referring to the Hail Community College, he said it will offer courses in engineering, accountancy and computer science.
The official said rapid qualitative and quantitative progress was in store in the higher education sector in coming years, as SR2.7 billion will be spent to develop the sector. Both the Council of Ministers and Supreme Economic Council have approved the fund allocation.
Al-Sultan also disclosed that the ministry was drawing up executive statutes for private universities. Replying to a question, he denied reports that the ministry received applications to start two new women’s universities in the Kingdom.
The royal order also directed the ministry to work in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and National Economy to find ways to provide additional incentives to investors to open private universities in regions where the private sector is not very keen to invest. The Council of Ministers had decided to provide such investors with loans in addition to allocating land at nominal prices. The ministry has been directed to come up with new proposals in six months.
The ministry is also planning to set up an independent academic accreditation authority that would undertake the task of evaluating programs and courses at private educational institutes. With specialists representing every field, it will be an autonomous body, independent of the ministry, he added.
