“On behalf of the Kingdom, the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) will help build the schools in Turkey’s eastern province of Elazig,” said an SFD statement released here on Tuesday.
“The efforts are underway to assess damages and identify places for the schools in that country that would be constructed by the Kingdom,” said the statement.
The Saudi support to build these schools comes within the framework of growing relations between Riyadh and Ankara, especially in the fields of education, commerce and politics.
Referring to the institutions that were damaged during the quake, a reliable source who refused to be identified said that the earthquake destroyed a number of buildings, utility centers and public and private properties, including schools and colleges.
“Saudi Minister of Finance Ibrahim Al-Assaf, who visited Turkey last month, in a gesture of support pledged to extend a helping hand to the quake-hit region,” said the source. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Riyadh two times during the last few months. Three Saudi ministers — Al-Assaf, Minister of Higher Education Khaled Al-Anqari and Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah — visited Turkey with their delegations over the last three months. Amr Al-Dabbagh, chief of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), also paid an official visit to Turkey recently.
The two countries are discussing a number of projects and topics pertaining to higher education programs, the role of universities and other areas of cooperation.
The two countries are also working on proposals to cooperate closely in research programs, exchange information and exchange experts of different disciplines.
To this end, it must be noted that the King Saud University and King Faisal University of Saudi Arabia have signed agreements of cooperation with Istanbul Technical University, which will pave the way for closer cooperation. The Jeddah-based King Abdulaziz University has also inked another accord with Yildiz Technical University of Turkey, which will go a long way in promoting technical education in the Kingdom.
