JEDDAH, 21 June 2006 — Saudi authorities have closed down a number of foreign university branches in the Kingdom after learning that they were operating without licenses, Asharq Al-Awsat, a sister publication of Arab News, reported yesterday.
“Some foreign universities published advertisements in local newspapers and started admitting students and collecting fees before applying for a license,” the newspaper quoted a Higher Education Ministry official as saying.
He said that by operating without a license the universities not only harmed their reputation but also caused problems for their students. However, the official welcomed foreign universities to open their branches in the Kingdom.
It is expected that private sector participation in higher education would increase by 30 percent within the next few years as the ministry has given nearly 70 preliminary licenses to establish private universities and colleges.
The ministry is currently conducting a feasibility study on the capacity of existing institutions of higher learning, the prospects of opening new private colleges and universities and the number of prospective students to be enrolled in them during the next 25 years.
The ministry will encourage the private sector to open colleges and universities offering academic programs in specializations required by the Kingdom’s job market, the official said.
The study will also focus on national and international trends in private higher education, geographical distribution of existing institutions and the areas that required new colleges and universities. It will also identity the plus points and weak points of the present education system in order to take corrective measures.
