RIYADH, 12 April 2006 — Minister of Higher Education Dr. Khaled Al-Angari will inaugurate on April 24 a five-day educational-cultural event in Vienna to highlight the Kingdom’s progress in that field.
The event, the sixth in a series, is different from “Saudi Arabia Yesterday and Today” in that the focus is on the Kingdom’s strides on the scientific, educational and cultural fronts. Previous venues of the event known as “Saudi Scientific Cultural Days” include the UAE, the US, Morocco, Jordan and Syria.
Austrian Ambassador Dr. Friedrich Stift told Arab News that the event marks a continuation of the strong bilateral relations, which were strengthened by the state visit of President Dr. Heinz Fischer.
“Both Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and President Fischer expressed their wish to intensify bilateral relations not only in the political and economic field but also in culture and education,” said the ambassador.
Dr. Stift, who served earlier as Austria’s economic counselor in Riyadh, said Saudi students had started enrolling in courses in medicine and dentistry. Currently, 13 students are pursuing postgraduate courses in medicine, for which the medium of instruction is English. They are also visiting the country as tourists.
Speaking to Arab News, Saad Al-Haqan, public relations manager at the Ministry of Higher Education, said Vienna was selected since Austria currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU. It also marks the Kingdom’s move to strengthen relations with the EU.
“I wish to thank the Austrian Embassy for its cooperation in organizing this event, which is intended to show what Saudi Arabia has achieved in the fields of science, technology and other disciplines,” said Al-Haqan.
A 20-member delegation, including 10 female academics from various universities, will go to Vienna. Besides an exhibition to be held on the sidelines of the event, other highlights include a book fair featuring the works in English of Saudi writers, poetry recitation, cultural programs and archaeological monuments of the Kingdom.
