JUBAIL, 21 December 2005 — Indians are eagerly looking forward to the visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, according to Indian Ambassador M.O.H. Farook. “King Abdullah’s visit to India next month will be the first by a Saudi monarch in 40 years and will pave the way for further strengthening bilateral bonds,” Farook told a meeting organized by India Forum Jubail on Friday.
A seminar marked the meeting in which speakers discussed various issues facing the community. “Lack of facilities for higher education for our children is one of the major problems and that’s why they have to be sent back home,” a speaker said.
The ambassador hoped that a solution would be found, especially in the matter of higher education for girls. He also called for imparting quality education to make local students competitive in various admission tests back home.
Other speakers pleaded for increased utilization of Indian expertise in the Kingdom’s ongoing development projects. “We’re the largest expatriate community here, but our share of participation in local projects is minimal and needs a review,” one of them pointed out.
