RIYADH — A large number of Twitteratis and other users of social media congratulated Faisal Al-Atwi, the first Saudi national graduating from the Russian Air Force Academy named after Prof. Zhukovsky and Yuri Gagarin. A video clip of the academy showed the graduation ceremony held there for more than 400 pilots. Among them, 11 graduates received a diploma with honors and a gold medal while 55 graduates obtained a diploma with honors. The academy is a Russian military institution of higher education run by the Ministry of Defense. The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces Lt. Gen. Sergey Dronov and Lt. Gen. Alexander Maksimtsev. The Father of Al-Atwi expressed happiness and pride in his son's graduation, thanking Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Minister of Defense Khalid bin Salman for providing the opportunity for Saudi youth to pursue their higher studies in the best universities in the world. "Today, we feel proud that we are reaping the fruits of diligence, perseverance, and hard work," the father said. He also thanked the emir of Tabuk for his continuous support for the people of the region. Social media activists reacted to the news while showering blessings on the young pilot through the hashtag #Faisal_Atwi, wishing him every success in future endeavors. It is noteworthy that this is the first batch of pilots who graduated from this institute after joining the course in 2017. The Academy was established in 2008 after the merger of the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy and the Gagarin Air Force Academy. The Gagarin Academy specialized in preparing high-ranking commanding officers, while the Zhukovsky Academy focused on aviation engineering.
