LONDON: A new term has started for Saudi Student Clubs in the UK following the publication of the latest results of their annual elections on Saturday.

Saudi nationals Turki bin Shalhoub and Ahlam Al-Zahrani were the winners of the 29th round for the academic year 2009/2010. Bin Shalhoub will be this year’s head of Saudi Students Clubs in the UK, while Al-Zahrani took over the position of the chief female students coordinator in the UK.

Results were announced in the afternoon at the King Fahad Academy in west London. Male students elected the head of clubs while females elected the chief female students coordinator. Votes were cast online.

Al-Zahrani beat two other candidates with a small winning margin of five votes.

Bin Shalhoub won with a vast margin of 80 votes, beating one other nominee.

Al-Zahrani is a PhD student in her final year at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Sheffield. She was also the coordinator of female students at the Saudi Students Club of Sheffield last year.

“I am passionate about the work I do and wanted the authority that would allow me to achieve more,” she said. “I will benefit from the experience of Sawsan Jaad [her predecessor], to share ideas that could be implemented this year and be aware of the obstacles that could confront me so that I could avoid them.”

She said the most important way to succeed is to stay connected with coordinators around the UK and have regular meetings with them to share views and ways to improve the female students role in the Saudi clubs.

There are only about six female students coordinators for the 41 Saudi clubs around the UK according to Al-Zahrani. “I hope that there will be one female student coordinator in each club this year,” she said.

Bin Shalhoub, who has finished an MSc in management in Southampton on the English south coast, was previously the financial representative at the administrative body of the Saudi clubs. He was also the head of the Saudi club in Southampton last year.

“The support of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, the ambassador and the Saudi cultural attaché encouraged me to nominate myself for this position. I felt that I wanted to volunteer and take part in serving Saudi students in the UK, especially that I come from a family that promotes volunteer work,” said bin Shalhoub.

He aims to give louder voices to students by forming a committee that is concerned with collecting ideas and suggestions from those students. These could eventually be presented and discussed during meetings through heads of Saudi clubs around the UK.

Heads of clubs currently meet four times a year, but bin Shalhoub wants to increase these to six meetings.

Meanwhile, Sawsan Jaad, a Masters student at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) who was succeeded by Al-Zahrani, said she achieved the aims she set when she first held the position.

One of the suggestions was to sponsor daycare for students’ children under three. The Saudi Ministry of Higher Education is still considering the idea. Another idea she had that was implemented was to establish a 24-hour support hotline for students manned by volunteer students. She thought it was an important step for students who needed immediate assistance.

“I enjoyed working as a female students coordinator last year though it was hectic being a Masters student and a wife,” said Jaad.

Among the obstacles Jaad faced last year was traveling to meetings attended by around 50 officials of Saudi students clubs and being the only woman, which made her uncomfortable. Female students’ coordinators used to refuse to attend the meetings due to having to mix with men.

“I believe coordinators of each city, where meetings take place, should attend along with the chief female coordinator in the UK in order to support her views,” she said.