JEDDAH: “Education never ends, even with the financial crises,” said Maher El-Bakry, IDP’s regional director in the Middle East at a one-day workshop held on Sunday at Jeddah’s Marriott Hotel. “These road shows IDP hosts give a full introduction for any student who wants to pursue their education in Australia.”

El-Bakry described education as a safe haven for people who want a better future.

The IDP, partly owned by 39 of Australia’s universities, opened its doors recently for Saudi students to enroll in the most advanced universities in Australia.

The IDP hosts these road shows in eight different cities around the Gulf annually. The Marriott show was IDP’s mega event where more than 20 universities and education institutions from Australia were present to counsel students from across the region.

Students interact directly with representatives of the Australian university faculties without having to travel to Australia. The students are advised on the courses of their interest, university details, campus locales, accommodation options and anything else related.

“We help manage all criteria for them, help them with the applications and send them to the universities, and follow up on issuance of their visas at no cost,” El-Bakry added.

The King Abdullah Scholarship Program has contributed to the high demand for higher education outside the Kingdom. However, El-Bakry said they also have students sponsored by the Red Crescent and the Health Ministry as well as those studying at their own expense.

“We are receiving students who want to break away from the traditional fields of learning and want to study new majors, such as environmental studies,” El-Bakry said.

Arab News spoke to several delegations in the workshop. Most agreed that Saudi students were academically qualified, but their English language level is weak.

“Our English-level requirements are high. We are one of the most demanding universities in Australia,” said Charles Tyler, international marketing manager at the University of Sydney. “But we have a high number of Saudi students.”

Jeremiah Bo, the regional recruitment manager of RMIT, said 70 percent of the applications they receive are eligible for their courses. “We give students the opportunity. Saudis are qualified academically, but English language courses should be taken prior to starting the major courses,” he said.

Simon Watson from the University of New South Wales was visiting the Kingdom for the sixth time representing his university.

“We receive many students who apply for courses, such as engineering and sciences ... King Abdulaziz University is very strong when it comes to these areas,” said Watson.

He advised students to stay in touch with the university after they apply to give the university ample time to prepare for their visit.

“We need to know at least four weeks in advance to prepare the accommodation, for example,” he added.