RIYADH, 17 March 2004 — British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in Riyadh yesterday awarded Chevening scholarships to 13 Saudis, nine of them women. The foreign secretary said that the number of scholarships would be increased from the current 2,400 annually to 3,000 worldwide.
In the Kingdom, the number of Chevening scholarships awarded annually ranges from 13 to 18. The value of the scholarship has recently been increased from £15,000 to £18,000.
The presentation ceremony was attended by British Ambassador Sherard Cowper-Coles and representatives of the sponsors, BAE Systems, the Saudi British Bank, British Airways, Macmillan Education and Al-Mishal Group.
Speaking at the ceremony, the foreign secretary expressed his delight that a majority of the Saudi recipients were women. He thanked the sponsors for their continued support and, in particular, the British Council for administering the scholarship on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He said Chevening scholars would find a gateway to an education and experience in the UK which equated to a lifetime’s service to the scholars. Chevening is a major scholarship program for which competition is fierce. Only one in 20 applicants are successful, which reflects the caliber of the scholars.
Speaking on behalf of the Saudi British Bank, Abdul Aziz Al-Manie, senior manager, public affairs, told Arab News that since the inception of the scholarship scheme in 1997, the bank has sponsored 26 Saudis. “An important aspect is that we sponsor Saudi students, including those from other banks. This is part of our commitment to the community which we serve.”
The winners come from diverse backgrounds and will pursue different courses of their own choosing. Most of them, however, said they would pursue post-graduate studies in information technology relating to health care, education, management and other fields. Another feature of the scholarship scheme is an accent on IT. This has come about through efforts by the Saudi Ministry of Education, which wants the winners to pursue higher studies in information technology in line with present market trends.
Speaking to Arab News, one of the recipients of the award, Aqila Al-Matar, who works in the nursing department of King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, said there were currently 45 Saudi nurses in the hospital.
“When I graduated five years ago, there were only five nurses in my group. Since then, the number has increased gradually.” Aqila said she would be pursuing post-graduate studies in health information and management.
Dana Abu Ahmed, who works in Saudi Aramco’s computer training and career development department, said her course would be in computer arts and media.
