Fatima Muhammad Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Minister of Higher Education Dr. Khaled Al-Anqari signed on Sunday morning contracts worth SR3.1 billion to develop several universities in the Kingdom. The contracts include the construction and equipping of laboratories and lecture rooms for female students at King Abdulaziz University and the construction of academic buildings for female students at King Faisal University's faculty of business administration. The minister also signed contracts for the construction of an information technology center, new students housing project, a services center for teaching staff's housing district and a contract for the refurbishment of infrastructure in the university campus at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran. Another contract was signed for the expansion of the laparoscopy and intensive care departments at King Faisal University's hospital in Al-Khobar and construction of research centers in the university campus. Technology infrastructure at Dammam University and a building for the computer science faculty at Taibah University will also be built. Other contracts were for the construction of a building for the College of Nursing (Girls) at Hail University. The projects also include construction of the College of Education building at Salman Bin Abdulaziz University at Hotat Bani Tamim, among others. In a statement following the signing of the contracts at the Ministry of Higher Education headquarters in Riyadh, Al-Anqari said the projects were part of continuous efforts to complete infrastructure for universities. Many of these projects have already made huge progress, he said. He said this has contributed in providing an integrated academic environment. He expressed hope these projects would provide an impetus for universities to boost their efforts to improve their education and research roles and serve the community. He said this should be commensurate with the support the leadership provides to the higher education sector. Al-Anqari expressed thanks to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Crown Prince Salman and Second Deputy Premier Prince Muqrin for the care and generous support the higher education sector gets.
