RIYADH, 24 August 2004 — King Abdul Aziz & His Companions Foundation for the Gifted will receive a $55,000 grant this year under the US government’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).

The grant is part of a scholarship program to help gifted students from the Gulf states attending summer camps. The agreement was signed by US Ambassador James Oberwetter and Dr. Hamad Al-Baadi, secretary-general of the foundation, here yesterday.

MEPI represents the US government’s initiative to reach out to the Muslim world through partnership in trade, education, political and economic reforms, as well as freedom of expression. The initiative was launched in the wake of the Iraq war that inflamed public opinion in the Muslim world against US policies in the Middle East.

It was also announced that negotiations were in progress with the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) for setting up an incubator. SABIC would extend full support in promoting R&D among the talented youth as well as helping them in marketing their products.

However, to qualify for such support, at least 40 percent of the products under development should be based on SABIC feedstock as the starting point of the research program. At another level, the foundation unveiled plans to set up a Math and Science Academy for gifted children.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Oberwetter said he was delighted with the foundation’s track record in helping the cause of gifted students. In this context, he referred to the educational set-up in Texas, his home state, where the performance of both teachers and students is closely monitored as part of the quality control program. He mentioned the role of philanthropists in extending support to highly talented pupils.

The ambassador also spoke about the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistance (FLTA) program under which scholarships were awarded to eight Saudi English language teachers. The one-year scholarship helps them upgrade their teaching skills, enhance their language proficiency and broaden their knowledge of the cultures and customs of the United States while strengthening the instruction of Arabic language in American colleges and universities.

Earlier, Dr. Al-Baadi briefed the ambassador on the foundation’s activities and said 22 summer camps were held since its inception in 2000. These camps were sponsored by the Saudi American Bank, Saudi Aramco, Exxon Mobil and Microsoft over different periods.

He said an important aspect of their activity was to identify and nurture gifted pupils, encourage their creative genius, help young inventors in obtaining patents after confirming the authenticity of their work, and marketing those products through different channels. Saudi Aramco will distribute a total of 36 prizes worth SR2.5 million among gifted students at a seminar-cum-exhibition early next year. The foundation has also organized art exhibitions featuring the works of talented Saudi girls.