JEDDAH, 19 March 2004 — The Director General of Education for the Makkah Region, Abdullah ibn Mohammed Al-Howimel, announced the establishment of a Jeddah Science Talent Club at the Ministry of Education Complex here last night. The club will be built at the Ministry of Education Complex in the Al Faisaliah District for an estimated cost of SR3.5 million.
The educational center aims to serve overachievers and talented students and sponsor them in various scientific disciplines said Al-Howimel during the unveiling of a commemorative plaque to mark the club’s formal launch.
The project is scheduled to become fully operational by early 2005 and is the result of cooperation between public and private sector institutions, he said. “The project is not for us alone, but for our children today and the generations to come,” Al-Howimel added.
Abdullah Al-Saywed, deputy head of student activities, explained that the programs to be offered by the club already existed but are badly organized and lack the right equipment. “The club will fill the gap and run it in an organized, disciplined manner,” he said.
“The quantum leap the Kingdom has taken in education has prompted us to sponsor and finance the club project,” Ahmed Linjawi, external relations manager of Modern Industries Company (MIC), said.
MIC, established by Sheikh Ismail Abu Dawood, former Chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, has been training young Saudis in support of the Saudization plan. The company will continue to need trained Saudis in its present and future expansion plans, he added.
“We view the launch of the club, following the signing of an agreement between the MOE and Tide, as an extension of our relationship with the community,” Dimitri Panayotopoulos, president, P&G, Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, said.
