Education Minister Prince Khaled Al-Faisal will launch the Fourth Saudi Education & Exhibition Conference, entitled “Education 4,” Monday at the Riyadh Exhibition and Conference Center.

The minister will launch the event on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, which is expected to attract over 260 participating educational institutions and companies from the Kingdom and abroad.

Germany has been selected as the guest of honor in this year’s event, which will last until Thursday.

German Ambassador Dieter Haller lauded having his country selected as the guest of honor.

“It was a special honor and distinction for Germany to receive this invitation by Saudi Education Minister Prince Khaled Al-Faisal. Germany has thus joined the group of countries whose experiences in the field of education might be of special use for the Kingdom. Since providing high-quality education and training for its future generations is a priority for Saudi Arabia, Germany is very proud to be considered a partner to the Saudi government in this field, ” the ambassador said.

Germany will be the fourth country to be invited as guest of honor at the exhibition and conference. Previous guest of honor countries include Singapore, South Korea and Finland respectively.

Ambassador Haller pointed out that German enterprises and exhibitors would not only present products in the field of education, but that official German institutions would provide comprehensive information about the German education system in coordination with the German Embassy.

He said that this fair, which has been held annually for several years, and its accompanying conference program would make an important contribution to the ongoing rapid and impressive development of the Saudi education system.

Around 15 German exhibitors will present educational programs and cutting-edge technology to equip educational institutions with the latest in the field of education. The German Chamber of Commerce in Riyadh (GESALO) will also be present and shed light on its services to support the search for German business partners in the education sector.

In addition, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) will provide information about higher education facilities and academic programs in Germany. A representative of the Goethe-Institute will provide in depth information about opportunities for learning the German language in Saudi Arabia and in Germany.

Representatives from the German International School in Riyadh, which will be celebrating its 40th anniversary later this year, will also be present.

The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), which is set up with International Services (IS), has already manifested its engagement in the Kingdom and will highlight its cooperation with the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) in the sector of vocational education.

Germany is considered a global leader in this field.

On Feb. 5, several German experts will give lectures within the framework of a “German day” in order to provide an overview of the German education system.

Experts from participating institutions will also be available for questions and discussions on all of the days of the exhibition.