JEDDAH, 16 May 2006 — The Council of Ministers yesterday called upon the private sector to invest in higher education projects, making use of the incentives offered by the government for such projects. The weekly Cabinet meeting, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, also urged more efforts to promote scientific and social research.
“The meeting emphasized the need for strengthening the facilities and capabilities of research centers at the Kingdom’s universities to carry out research in both scientific and social fields,” Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani told the Saudi Press Agency after the meeting.
The Cabinet instructed authorities to make use of Saudi academic expertise and sign agreements of cooperation with reputable research centers across the world for the purpose. The Cabinet decision is significant in the backdrop of statistics that Arab countries collectively spend only 0.15 percent of their gross domestic product on research and development, which is well below the global average of 1.4 percent.
“The private sector has an important responsibility in making investment in higher educational institutions, inspired by the incentives offered by the state for such investments and taking up its national and social role,” the Cabinet said.
The meeting praised the king’s decision to establish two new universities in Tabuk and Baha, bringing the total number of government universities in the Kingdom to 17. Other universities are located in Riyadh (three), Madinah (two), Jeddah, Makkah, Dammam, Dhahran, Abha, Qassim, Taif, Jizan, Al-Jouf and Hail.
The Saudi government gives top priority to education and manpower training. The current fiscal budget has allocated SR87.3 billion or 26 percent of the SR335 billion budget for the sector.
Earlier, King Abdullah briefed the ministers on the outcome of his contacts with world leaders. “Saudi Arabia’s stands are in support of the rights of the people of the region to live in security and stability,” he explained. He also noted the Kingdom’s efforts to achieve sustained economic growth.
Madani said the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh had taken a number of other important decisions. It authorized the minister of agriculture to hold talks with his Yemeni counterpart to reach an agreement for cooperation in fisheries.
It also endorsed the economic cooperation agreement between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Latin American Mercosur bloc, to promote economic, commercial and investment cooperation between countries of the two groups.
The Cabinet also approved the agreement with Syria for cooperation in judicial matters. The agreement, according to Madani, allows citizens of both countries to approach judicial authorities in the other country to win their rights.
The meeting gave the go-ahead to sign an agreement with Niger for scientific and educational cooperation. The minister of higher education will hold talks with his counterpart in Niger for the purpose.
The Cabinet endorsed the agreement signed by the Transport Ministry to enhance cooperation with the Arab East in marine transportation. It appointed Talal ibn Abdul Ghani Malki ambassador at the Foreign Ministry, and Faisal ibn Ahmed Al-Othman director of administrative and financial affairs at the Eastern Province Governorate.
