An Indian educational group in cooperation with a group of Saudi promoters plans to open colleges in Saudi Arabia.

Riyasat Ali Chaudhry, chairman and founder of the ACN Group of Institutions, announced this on Monday and said the group will be the first to cater to the needs of Saudi and foreign students.

Speaking at a presentation organized by Bihar Anjuman, an Indian community forum, Chaudhry said he was in talks with Saudi academicians and entrepreneurs on the plan.

“The Kingdom can benefit a lot in terms of technical and educational skills by cooperating with ACN in particular and other Indian institutions in general,” said Chaudhry.

He observed that plans for the Saudi initiative are still in the initial stages.

He said Crown Prince Salman’s visit to India would open new avenues of cooperation in the education sector.

“I welcome Saudi students to our institutions and colleges,” said the ACN chief, referring to the dozens of colleges and technical institutions the group operates in north India. “Plans are underway to open a new university in the Indian city of Jodhpur and a 200-bed medical college is also in the pipeline,” he noted.

The ACN chief said that Gulam Nabi Azad, Indian Union health minister, visited ACN recently and lauded the achievements of the group in the field of education.

ACN Group of Institutions could play a big role in meeting the Saudi market’s demand by opening new nursing and paramedical institutions to produce trained and dedicated paramedical staff for India and Saudi Arabia, he added.

Chaudhry also charted the growth landscape of the ACN Group of Institutions since its inception in 1993. He further explained how the group has diversified into various fields of higher education, including medicine, engineering and management.

“The Institutes offers a range of courses at very reasonable fees. The group is also going to establish a medical college in 2015-2016,” he said.



Kaunian Shaidi, vice president of Bihar Anjuman, said, “We need to select student’s careers based on their aptitude, strength and interest, instead of just following traditional courses,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, chief guest Shaukat Perwaiz, and principal of the International Indian School Riyadh (IISR), appreciated the efforts of the organizers, adding that these kinds of events inform expat communities about educational courses and degrees.

Syed Muneer, president of Bihar Anjuman and Odaidur Rehman, director of ACN group were also present at the event.

More than 50 parents and a number of students from the Indian community attended the career guidance and development session.