JEDDAH: Saudi students and academics have expressed their delight at the decision taken by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to extend the period of the foreign scholarship program to five years.
More than 50,000 students have benefited from the program during the last five years. Scholarships are given to students intending to pursue their studies abroad for bachelor, masters and doctoral degrees.
Khaled Masry, who works in the media, said he was happy at the king’s decision.
“It gives me hope that I can complete my higher studies abroad,” he added. He said he was not able to join the program during the past five years for both personal and work reasons.
“King Abdullah’s gesture has encouraged me to take a masters degree in business administration,” said Badr Al-Saud who graduated from King Abdulaziz University last year. “I am sure many students like me will benefit from this scholarship program,” he added.
Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-Anqari said the extension of the scholarship program, which is named after King Abdullah, would boost the Kingdom’s higher education and overall development.
“The program aims at developing the skills and capabilities of young Saudi men and women,” said the minister when he announced the decision to extend the program, which offers Saudi students an opportunity to study in reputable international colleges and universities. Saleh Kamil, chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), said the royal gesture would contribute to manpower development and make Saudis competent in international job market.
“This foreign scholarship program will enhance the knowledge and capabilities of our young men and women in medicine, dentistry, health sciences, computer science, mathematics, physics, law and business administration,” said the JCCI chief.
Meanwhile, officials of a number of private universities and colleges in the Kingdom welcomed the Cabinet decision to pay 50 percent of the fees of Saudi students who get admission in their institutions.
“This will create a fair competition between private educational institutions in the Kingdom to win large numbers of students,” said Muhammad Al-Harithy, dean of the King Abdullah Institute for Research and Consultancy Studies.
Ahmed Al-Yamani, director of Prince Sultan University in Riyadh, thanked the government for its support to higher education and private educational institutions.
Suhair Al-Qurashi, principal of Dar Al-Hekma College, said the Cabinet decision would strengthen the private sector to play a greater role in the development process.
Abdullah Dahlan, chairman of the College of Business Administration (CBA), said the decision would encourage the private sector to open more colleges and universities across the country to provide higher education and meet job market requirements.
