Learning German language is a key asset and an entry ticket for top-grade employment in Saudi Arabia as more than 400 German companies are active across the Kingdom to find able cultural and linguistic translators to facilitate mutual understanding with their Saudi partners and clients.

“Ambitious Saudi nationals with German skills do not have to worry about employment opportunities,” said Walid Soliman, Goethe language center director in Riyadh.

The center is running at the German International School here at the Al Boustan Compound for training in German skills.

Moreover, the prestigious King Saud University (KSU) is offering a Bachelor degree in “German for translators” to young Saudi nationals and the numbers of interested students have been growing permanently. Thirty Saudi students took admission this year for Bachelors in German at KSU.

They will study for five years with two years of them dedicated to specialization in German as a foreign language.

The best students in the merit list can spend the second one of those two years in Germany with the help and support of the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE). Notably, this year, several students went to Freiburg in southern Germany, one of the most popular destinations for both German and foreign students to specialize in the skill.

Moreover, for many years now, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has recognized the importance of the German department by providing grants to students and teachers and by sending permanent long-stay lecturers from Germany, covering most of their costs.

Interestingly, since 2009, Mark Rode, an internationally experienced specialist for German as a foreign language, has been teaching German at KSU to further enhance the German language students skills and proficiency. Furthermore, KSU forged a close collaboration with the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and Nobel laureate Prof.

Theodor Haensch is jointly working with Prof. Abdallah Azzeer on new laser-technologies.

There are many other active cooperation programs with German universities, which ranges from archaeology to tourism and there is a lively exchange of students, professors, knowledge and ideas.

Furthermore, Effat University, Jeddah is also offering DAAD lecturer to help establish German as a subject for interested Saudi female students and Dr. Susanne Karam is taking her challenging work to see the growing role of the German language and assisting in tapping into a rich scientific tradition.

According to German embassy in Riyadh, about 1,000 Saudi nationals are studying or learning German in Germany.

With generous support granted under King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP), they study at German universities and medicine, engineering, chemistry and architecture are among their favorite subjects.

The DAAD and the Saudi embassy’s cultural office in Berlin are providing them with assistance in finding their ways into the renowned universities of Germany, says the embassy.

Spoken by more than a 100 million speakers in four countries in the heart of Europe, German is a classical European language featuring a rich scientific history and tradition.

Significantly, more than one hundred world-class universities in Germany welcome students from all over the world.

German scientists have received more than 100 Nobel Prizes.

Germany also offers a great variety of dedicated, top-of-the-class research centers.

Apart from these there are 11 courses at different levels which offer those who wish to learn German and more about German culture.

For example, the Goethe language school counts with the support of the German and Saudi government contribute to further foster Saudi German mutual relations.