RIYADH, 24 September — A group of 20 Saudi media persons will leave for Tokyo today to attend a three-week familiarization course organized by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which seeks to promote technical education and training for foreigners.
The tour comes within the framework of the Saudi-Japanese Youth Friendship Program. "This program will contribute considerably to building mutual understanding and friendship through exchange of views on a wide range of issues and observation tours", said Kuniaki Nagata, JICA resident representative, here today.
The program was first started in Japan to provide training for Saudi personnel in 1998, when a batch of 20 junior Saudi teachers was sent to Japan for training. JICA successfully organized two more training sessions for teachers in 1999 and 2000. This was in addition to 17 Saudi newsmen, who were also sent last year to Japan on a familiarization trip.
Nagata said the new group is composed of media personnel and officials from the Ministry of Information, television, radio, Saudi Press Agency and other media organizations.
This program, in the context of Saudi Arabia, is not only beneficial to young people from overseas but also to young Japanese participants, who get the opportunity to exchange views on a range of regional and international subjects. This, eventually, ensures a better understanding of cultures and consolidates relations between the two countries.
Referring to other training programs designed by JICA for Saudis, Nagata said that Japan was organizing some 100 training courses for personnel of various Saudi government agencies this year. Tokyo would offer courses on subjects like computer, electronics, clinical dentistry, intellectual property rights, consultancy, remote sensing, environmental management and petrochemicals.
JICA has also been working on several joint projects with nearly 16 Saudi government agencies.
JICA hosted a farewell party at the Hyatt Regency Hotel here last night for the Saudi delegation. Japanese Ambassador Nobuyasu Abe was the guest of honor.
