RIYADH, 21 December 2004 — Governor of Riyadh Prince Salman yesterday received a delegation of Swedish students who arrived in the Kingdom on invitation from the Saudi Scientific Club. The delegation comprising 15 high school and university students will meet with their Saudi counterparts during their stay here.
The students will also visit Saudi academic institutions to learn more about the Kingdom’s culture and education. “The visit of Swedish students is a welcome development, which comes after the visit of a similar group of talented Saudi students to Stockholm early this year,” said Christer Nilsson, charge d’affaires at the Swedish Embassy.
“Sweden, on its part, has a lot to offer to the Kingdom in education,” said the diplomat.
Academic pursuits in Sweden include structured degree programs at 39 accredited universities and university colleges, including research and development at a doctoral level at many of these institutions. Some institutions provide contract training commissioned by companies and organizations. If someone wants to learn Swedish, there are plenty of opportunities both in Sweden and abroad, said Nilsson. Sweden is a thriving IT nation with considerable scope for Saudi students.
Nilsson said the two countries have forged closer cooperation in many areas. He recalled the visit of Crown Prince Abdullah to Sweden in 2001 and the visit of Crown Princess Victoria to Saudi Arabia early this year. On trade front, Riyadh is the Sweden’s largest trading partner in the region with two-way trade exceeding SR2 billion annually.
