RIYADH — More than 140,000 male and female students, who hail from more than 160 nationalities, have graduated from Saudi universities, after obtaining specializations at various levels of education, according to an official of the Saudi Ministry of Education. Dr. Sami Al-Haisouni, director of the scholarships department for non-Saudi students at the Ministry of Education, revealed that more than 74,000 male and female students from various parts of the world are currently pursuing their studies in the Kingdom. These students will benefit from distinguished education and high quality of outputs in the Kingdom. Al-Haisouni made the remarks while addressing an introductory forum titled "Study in Saudi" in Riyadh on Monday. "This forum reflects the Kingdom's commitment to providing the best opportunities in the field of education and cultural exchange for international students. The Kingdom has paid great attention to supporting and empowering international students who have chosen it as their destination for education," he added. Saudi Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan inaugurated the activities of the forum and an exhibition, which was organized on the sidelines of the forum. The event was held in the presence of several ministers and ambassadors accredited to the Kingdom and representatives of diplomatic missions and international organizations. The forum aims to introduce the opportunities to attract outstanding students from around the world to study in Saudi universities, which achieved giant leap and tangible progress at the level of global and regional classifications in a number of scientific fields, including research, innovation and entrepreneurship. In his speech, Al-Benyan stressed that Saudi Arabia is an important center for scientific research and innovation, thanks to the unlimited support of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. "This guaranteed the existence and sustainability of an excellent research environment." The minister called on outstanding researchers in various fields and holders of academic degrees to achieve cooperation and explore educational opportunities in the Kingdom as an attractive educational destination through various academic programs in colleges, universities and institutes. "Those who wish to join these programs will be able to benefit from the applied modern methodology and advanced educational facilities, in addition to providing opportunities for interaction with diverse cultures, which provides rich cultural experiences and an enriching educational journey," he said. Al-Benyan drew attention to the fact that the enrollment of international students, researchers, and trainees in higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia is an essential part of the Kingdom's vision to develop the educational sector and enhance its global standing, saying that this contributes to achieving the fourth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals, represented by quality education, enhancing the global flow of students, cultural and scientific exchange, and expanding their horizons of knowledge. The minister highlighted the significance of learning the Arabic language as a global language, saying that the Kingdom is a distinguished destination for learning it. This contributes to discovering its ancient cultural heritage through the student's educational journey. "The economic transformations in the world make the Kingdom among the fastest growing economies, which has helped create opportunities for employment, professional development and training, including the oil and gas sectors, renewable and clean energy, technology and business sectors," he said. Al-Benyan called on all international partners to benefit from diverse educational opportunities for international students, researchers and trainees as part of the Kingdom's efforts to expand the scope of education and increase their presence in it, and to provide all opinions and suggestions related to this project to enhance the academic experience in Saudi universities, and achieve cultural understanding and international cooperation.
