Scholarship students warned against criticism

The Saudi Embassy in the United States of America will send back any student on the King Abdullah Scholarship Program who attacks the Kingdom and Islam, an embassy official said at a function in Washington DC on Saturday.
Muhammad Al-Eisa, the Saudi cultural attaché, warned students against crossing the line of criticizing Islam and the Kingdom while addressing a meeting of Saudi student clubs in the US.
During the meeting in which more than 200 club chairmen participated, Al-Eisa said the embassy has requested that authorities enhance the stipend amount.
He noted that the number of student clubs in the US has increased from 23 in 2007 to 234 clubs now.
“More than 98,000 Saudis with their accompanying relatives are currently studying in various American universities and have made remarkable achievements, including 200 inventions,” Al-Eisa said, adding that their numbers are growing in 10 leading universities.
Saudi medical students have joined 1,500 fellowships, while 500 dental doctors are participating in various programs in leading research and science universities, he said, adding that 500 pharmaceutical students are attending advanced programs.
Speaking on the occasion, Saudi Ambassador to the USA Adel Jubeir said the Kingdom plans to open a new consulate in Chicago to address the needs of the rising number of students and other Saudi citizens in Chicago city.
Jubeir said the embassy is striving to increase its manpower and expand it technological facilities to adequately meet student needs, especially on occasions of natural calamities and in dealing with legal matters. He added that the embassy has appointed a leading legal firm to handle the students’ legal cases.
According to the ambassador, the Kingdom has signed agreements with some of the largest airlines companies and technical institutions in the USA to train Saudi scholarship students for two years upon their graduation to enable them to work in the Saudi branches of these companies.
Jubeir said that the government decided to extend the foreign scholarship project for a third term thanks to the academic success of Saudi students in various universities across the world, Al-Hayat daily reported yesterday.
“The great achievements made by Saudi students portray a shining image of the Kingdom abroad and is a fitting reply to those who doubt the success of the scholarship project,” the ambassador said.