King Abdullah’s dream realized

Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, minister of state, Cabinet member and commander of the National Guard, distributed the awards at the eighth annual graduation ceremony of the King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in Riyadh yesterday.
A total of 227 students, including 119 postgraduates, 97 with Bachelor's degrees and others received their certificates from Prince Miteb at a glittering function held at the King Faisal Conference Hall.
Congratulating the successful students, Prince Miteb said it is a happy coincidence that the graduation ceremony is being held at a time when the country is celebrating the seventh anniversary of the reign of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
The prince said that it is the dream of King Abdullah to provide the required skills and training for the local youths in the field of specialized health sciences to develop the health care services in the Kingdom.
“We are realizing that dream today and I wish these graduates success in their life and hope that they will be useful assets to Saudi society,” he said, stressing that developing the skills of the youth is an important investment of the country.
He said it is encouraging that the universities in the Kingdom are playing an important role producing more qualified people who would find a suitable place in society. He stressed that promoting education among citizens and to have a knowledge-based society is one of the wishes of King Abdullah.
Vice President at KSAU-HS for Academic Affairs Yousef bin Abdullah bin Eisa said it is a joyful moment in the annals of the university to see young graduates leaving the university to take up positions at various workplaces in the Kingdom.
President at KSAU-HS Bandar Abdulmohsen Al-Knawy said the efforts of the management of King Abdulaziz Medical City bore fruit with the blossoming of this good seedling planted by King Abdullah during his reign as crown prince when he announced the establishment of the King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences in March 2005.
Headquartered in Riyadh, KSAU-HS has two additional campuses in Jeddah and Al-Ahsa.
The Riyadh campus hosts six colleges: College of Medicine, College of Dentistry, College of Pharmacy, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, College of Applied Medical Sciences and College of Nursing.
The Jeddah Campus hosts two colleges: College of Medicine and College of Nursing. Al-Ahsa Campus hosts two colleges: College of Applied Medical Sciences and College of Nursing.
Being under the umbrella of NGHA has given the university and its students access to King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al-Ahsa, the most advanced medical complexes in the region. Furthermore, it has enabled the university to enhance its curricula and academic programs with clinical applications and training under the supervision of highly competent health professionals.
Mohammed Al-Moamary, assistant vice president for academic affairs of KSAU-HS, said the newly constructed three campuses of the universities will be opened shortly in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al-Ahsa.
The capacity of the three campuses would be 10,000 students. “We would achieve this number in the course of time,” Al-Moamary said.
He said that courses of yesterday’s graduates were designed to meet market needs. “They will find employment easily in various institutions in the private and public sector.”
“Once the academic structures of the university are in place, it will become an educational institution capable of attracting competent and outstanding students from all over the Kingdom,” he added.
He hoped the university would attract the best and most qualified faculty, and would become a scientific and educational beacon locally and regionally. It would be an international authority within its programs, specialties and areas of research. He added that it would be a source of pride for the country.
This university was established under the umbrella of the National Guard and the Ministry of Higher Education. It is one of the most modern universities in the region and the Arab world, specializing in health sciences and targeting the needs of the country and its citizens in the crucial field of health care.