HOFUF, 28 February 2008 — The US Consulate in Dhahran has awarded 15 scholarships to Saudi teens in the Hofuf area to pursue English-language studies. On Sunday, US Consul General in Dhahran John S. Kincannon traveled to Hofuf to meet the students and congratulate them on their awards.
“I was delighted to meet these young people and am confident they will succeed in their studies. Programs like these demonstrate a commitment by the United States to continue a strong relationship with the Saudi people,” said Kincannon.
The winning students are: Mohamed Al-Abbad, Meghddad Al-Abdullah, Faisal Al-Assaf, Ridha Al-Bahrani, Abdullah Al-Bokheder, Ahmed Al-Dalwi, Abdulrahman Al-Enezi, Hazaa Al-Enezi, Meshari Al-Harbi, Mohamed Al-Majed, Khaled Al-Shamari, Abdallah Al-Subaie, Azam Al-Subaie, Nawaf Al-Subaie and Muayid Al-Yousef.
The students will receive two years of free English language instruction in Hofuf through a partnership with the English language institute, “Direct English.” The classes will be conducted four days per week in the evening from 4 to 6 p.m., as the teens will be attending their regular high school classes during the day.
The goal of the program is that the students will become proficient in the English language, which will enable them to excel in higher education programs immediately upon graduating from secondary school. This would also give them an edge whenever they enter the local job market where dual Arabic/English language skills are much in demand. Funding for the scholarships is part of the US government’s support for culture and education initiatives in Saudi Arabia.
The students from Hofuf were invited to apply to the program and were selected based on their school records and age — 15-17 years. In choosing the scholarship winners, the US Consulate/Direct English selection committee “emphasized past academic performance to ensure students would complete the entire program. Also, the focus was on students from poor or under-served populations.”
