23 Countries Discuss Education in Riyadh Post-Pandemic Era

The Saudi Minister of Education accompanied by a number of participants at the International Education Conference 2022 in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Education accompanied by a number of participants at the International Education Conference 2022 in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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23 Countries Discuss Education in Riyadh Post-Pandemic Era

The Saudi Minister of Education accompanied by a number of participants at the International Education Conference 2022 in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Education accompanied by a number of participants at the International Education Conference 2022 in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Riyadh is hosting representatives of 23 countries from around the world and more than 262 international and local universities to discuss the education sector after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The International Education Conference 2022, which kicked off on Sunday, tackles the global education policies and examines the most effective experiences and means to overcome challenges and improve outputs in line with international standards and indicators.

In a speech at the opening ceremony, Saudi Minister of Education, Dr. Hamad Al-Sheikh, said that the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the development of operating systems that serve the education sector.

He underlined the need for creative planning to overcome challenges facing the education sector around the world, which include economic conditions and global transformations.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Egypt’s Minister of Education, Dr. Tarek Shawky, stressed the importance of the conference in seeking to find the means to address the educational gap among students, and discussing partnership opportunities within the framework of digital transformation.

“It is an opportunity to discuss common issues with representatives from the World Bank, UNESCO and international and regional organizations, who met in Riyadh, to engage in a joint thinking process, following two years of isolation due to the pandemic,” the minister added.

The four-day conference is held in parallel with an exhibition that showcases the experiences of 145 universities and international educational institutions, as well as nearly 130 workshops targeting large segments of workers in the education sector.

Topics that will be discussed during the conference include digital education, artificial intelligence, technical alternatives, and educational skills that support sustainable and inclusive development.



GCC Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
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GCC Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi welcomed on Wednesday the agreement between the legitimate Yemeni government and Iran-backed Houthi militias to de-escalate the situation with regard to the Yemeni banking sector and airlines.

The agreement was announced by the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on Tuesday.

Albudaiwi expressed the GCC's support for all regional and international efforts and the efforts led by the UN special envoy aimed at achieving peace and security in Yemen.

The announcement underscores the importance the international community attaches to the Yemeni crisis, he added, hoping the agreement will pave the way for Yemeni parties to start the political process, under UN auspices, to reach a comprehensive political solution that achieves security and stability in the country.

He reiterated the GCC's continued support and full solidarity with Yemen, its government and people, and its keenness to encourage all efforts to de-escalate and maintain stability in order to reach peace.