JUBAIL — The Jubail Industrial City has won the UNESCO International Prize for the Best Learning City in the world. The award was announced on Wednesday, the first day of the International Conference on Learning Cities in the South Korean city of Yeonsu. Jubail is among the ten cities, which have won this year's award in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the implementation of UNESCO'S learning city strategy. The other awarded UNESCO learning cities are Al-Wakra (Qatar), Belfast (United Kingdom), Clermont-Ferrand (France), Damietta (Egypt), Dublin (Ireland), Huejotzingo, (Mexico), Osan (Republic of Korea), Shanghai (China), and Wyndham (Australia). They were selected by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), upon the recommendation of an independent jury of international experts. All of the awardees have shown how learning opportunities empower citizens of all ages when suitable policies and programs are put in place. "With more than half of humanity living in urban areas, cities have a central role to play in providing learning opportunities. "This year's UNESCO Learning City Awardees enable their citizens to adapt to a rapidly changing world and acquire the knowledge necessary to act jointly to solve global challenges, said David Atchoarena, director of UIL, ahead of the awards ceremony. "Through lifelong learning they pave the way for fairer, more just and sustainable societies and a better future for all of us," he added. As the world's largest petrochemical industrial city, Jubail Industrial City promoted sustainable industrial production by ensuring that its population of more than 200,000 is equipped with comprehensive knowledge and skills. By focusing on education for sustainable development, entrepreneurship, health and well-being, the city has succeeded in upskilling more than 168,000 citizens through evening classes, enhancing the literacy skills of over 5,000 beneficiaries, and helping its citizens — and women in particular — to found small and medium-sized businesses, the UNESCO said while lauding Jubail's commendable work. The Ministry of Education's efforts have integrated with local and international institutions such as the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence and the National Committee for Education, Culture and Science to transform Jubail Industrial City into the first Saudi learning city, seeking to promote inclusive education for all from basic education to higher education, as well as spreading a culture of lifelong learning within Saudi society, facilitating the learning process within the work environment and using modern technologies on a larger scale, in addition to enhancing quality and excellence in the field of learning.
