Three thousand expatriate professors currently working at Saudi universities are seeking employment in Western countries, according to an official from an international immigration center.

This comes after the Ministry of Higher Education informed universities recently that they should not renew the contracts of expatriate professors over the age of 60, although it did leave hiring to the discretion of university boards.

Nader Eyad, a Lebanese lawyer working at an international immigration center, told Arab News that 3,000 professors have applied for work visas in other countries.

“Three thousand expat professors submitted requests to leave for Western countries. There are expat professors in scientific academic programs that will not have any problems getting a visa or good offers from international companies or universities in Western countries,” said Eyad.

The United States, Sweden, Britain and Germany are the most favored European countries. Canada offers the best prospects for university professors from developing countries.

Ahmed Bassyoni, an Egyptian economics professor at a Saudi university in the Eastern Province, told Arab News that many Western expatriate professors can earn enough to secure their future here, in their home countries or elsewhere. It was mostly academics from countries in turmoil, such as Sudan, Iraq and Syria, who are seeking to work in Western countries.

According to the ministry, public university boards are authorized to renew the contracts of non-Saudi staff with a limit of 10 years for professors, five for assistant professors and three for other faculty members.

There are 25,909 teaching staff members at the country’s public universities, according to statistics from the ministry. About 15,000 or 62 percent are expatriates, consisting of nearly 10,000 men and 4,700 women faculty members. A total of 3,238 Saudi and expatriate faculty members are professors, 6,405 associate professors and 16,266 are assistant professors, according to the data.