JEDDAH, 16 May 2006 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has given his approval to establish two new universities in the northern region of Tabuk and southern region of Baha.
“This will bring the total number of government universities in the Kingdom to 17,” Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-Anqari told the Saudi Press Agency.
King Abdullah announced the plan to establish the two universities while attending the 50th anniversary celebrations of King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh on Sunday night.
The king also opened a number of projects at the university as well as an exhibition staged on the sidelines of the golden jubilee. Crown Prince Sultan and senior princes and officials including Riyadh Governor Prince Salman attended the event.
Addressing the ceremony, King Abdullah underscored the tremendous achievements made by KSU over the past 50 years. King Saud opened the university on Nov. 6, 1957. It began with the College of Arts, which had only 21 students, of whom 18 were Saudis.
“The history of this oldest university gives us a lesson that great men with their determination could transform dreams into miracles,” Abdullah said.
“When King Saud decided to establish this university, it was a historic decision. The university had a humble beginning in a small building with a very few number of students. Now it has grown into a big institution that passed out thousands of graduates who hold leading positions in the state,” the king said in his keynote speech.
Abdullah commended the role of all those who contributed to KSU’s progress. Universities are treasures of knowledge, the king said, adding that they transfer know-how from one generation to another. “It is a place where young men and women spend the beautiful days of their life,” he said.
In his welcome address, Al-Anqari noted King Abdullah’s efforts to promote education in the Kingdom by approving new universities and colleges. He said the king had allocated SR4 billion from the budget surplus for higher educational projects across the country.
KSU President Abdullah Al-Faisal said his university had received more than SR70 billion in financial assistance from the government to carry out various projects.
“More than 140,000 graduates of our university are now actively taking part in the development of the country,” he said.
King Abdullah later watched a documentary on the university and honored KSU’s previous presidents and first graduates.
