Saudi Gazette report BURAIDAH — More than 50 students from eastern and southern European countries are majoring in Arabic language and Shariah sciences at Qassim University. The students hail from countries in the Balkan region, including Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia, Albania and Macedonia. The students said they were particularly grateful to Qassim University's Abdulrahman Al-Aqal and Ibrahim Al-Bsaili, who taught them Shariah. After a year and a half in the Kingdom, the European students commended their Saudi hosts for their hospitality. One of the students said: “Sometimes they stop their cars and invite us to dinner; we feel very welcome. We are happy to see religious values being a cornerstone of Saudi lifestyle.” The students live in Al-Nahda district in northern Buraidah, near Othman Bin Affan Road. The road has lately become a venue for late night stunt driving sessions, which has often resulted in sleepless nights for the students. One of the students was amazed at the volume of traffic accidents in the region, linking the phenomenon to reckless driving. Speaking to Al-Sharq daily recently, the students expressed their gratitude to the Saudi government for its efforts in securing their education. In addition to tuition fees subsidized by the Saudi government, the students are being paid a monthly allowance of SR850, which goes to textbook purchases and personal expenses. Another student suggested a deal between the university and a library that would allow students to receive coupons that would later be exchanged for books. The students were all praise for their teachers, particularly Alaa Zuwail who returned to Egypt recently. One student said: “We hope he returns soon; he's helped us tremendously and always with a smile.” The students also expressed their gratitude to the university's student affairs counselor Khaled Al-Sheredah, who helped secure all the students needs in collaboration with the university's head Khaled Al-Hamoudi. The students also attend an Arabic language institute in the region. When asked about the facilities, the students expressed a need for more books, particularly in Arabic studies, stating that it was difficult for them to learn the language using the university's limited resources. As for the curriculum, the students found it hard to follow their Arabic classes due to what they say is a lack of orientation and preliminary courses such as those found in institutes in the Kingdom's major cities. The language institute lacks Saudi teachers, said one student. “We need Saudi students in the institute, particularly for Islamic heritage classes. “We're here to learn proper language and proper Islam. “We chose Saudi Arabia over other countries because it has the most comprehensive Arabic and Islamic programs in the Arab world but we would like to see more Saudis teaching their own culture and history.”
