On the fringes of the Global Education Summit being held here, Minister of Education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Dr. Hamad Bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh met on Wednesday with UK Minister for Middle East and North Africa in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office James Cleverly. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, and reviewed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's efforts to support education through the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief). They also affirmed the role of and efforts being exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its leadership in supporting the international community to finance the strategic plan of the global partnership for education. Later, Dr. Al-Sheikh received the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Global Partnership for Education Julia Gillard. During the meeting, they discussed areas of joint cooperation, intensified efforts to contribute to the development of education at the international level and topics of discussion at the summit. They also discussed strengthening the relationship of GPE with the SFD, citing the projects carried out by SFD in the education sector in various countries of the world, and praising the Saudi role in supporting the education programs in addition to cooperation between GPE and KSrelief in the education sector. The meeting also highlighted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's role in supporting international and regional organizations in the fields of education, culture and science, such as UNESCO, ISESCO and ALECSO. Dr. Al-Sheikh is here to participate in the 2021-2025 Global Education Summit and Global Partnership for Education (GPE), on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, deputy prime minister and minister of defense. The Summit is being held under the patronage of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Dr. Al-Sheikh will deliver the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's speech on behalf of Crown Prince during the summit that sees the participation of 12 heads of state, 60 education ministers, representatives of the private sector, influencers and youths. The agenda of the summit includes calls for the international community to finance the strategic plan of GPE and raising USD5 billion over the next five years, drawing a road map to transform educational systems in targeted countries through exchanging the best practices, studying the latest systems, and listening to experts and young people from around the world, in addition to benefiting from the expertise of stakeholders. GPE is an international leading non-governmental organization based in Washington, USA and supports financing high quality educational services for all children, especially in lower-income countries. — SPA
