Yousef Al-Benyan Devotes Vast Experience to Serve Saudi Education System

Saudi Education Minister Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan. (SPA)
Saudi Education Minister Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan. (SPA)
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Yousef Al-Benyan Devotes Vast Experience to Serve Saudi Education System

Saudi Education Minister Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan. (SPA)
Saudi Education Minister Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan. (SPA)

Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan was appointed as Saudi Minister of Education on Tuesday by a Royal Decree by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

A holder of advanced degrees in economics and industrial and economic management, Al-Benyan embarks on a journey to develop the education sector in the Kingdom, and to devote his vast experience to achieve the best learning environment for future generations.

Al-Benyan has held the position of Vice-Chairman and CEO of Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC), the world’s largest petrochemicals manufacturers, since 2015.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in industrial management, in addition to many specialized diplomas in executive management.

Throughout his rich career, he occupied several posts, most notably Vice-Chairman and CEO of SABIC, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of SABIC Agri-Nutrients, SABIC Investment and Local Content Development Company (Nusaned), the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), and the Petrochemical Manufacturers Committee. He was also member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Tadawul Group and the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE).

Al-Benyan was also appointed Chairman of the Business Group (B20) of the Group of Twenty (G20) under the Saudi Presidency. Moreover, he chaired the boards of a number of companies, and was member of many business boards, forums, boards of institutions, bodies and programs at the national and global levels.

Coming from the corridors of industrial giants, Al-Benyan is expected to contribute to the alignment of the education sector with Saudi Arabia’s goal to improve the learning environment and to stimulate creativity and innovation in order to meet the requirements of national development and the needs of the labor market.

The minister is also expected to employ his administrative experience in the building of work systems, executive strategies, and awareness of the conditions for industrial and scientific success, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to harmonize the outputs of the educational system with the needs of the labor market, expand vocational training to advance economic development, and concentrate scholarship opportunities on areas that serve the national economy.



Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble

Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble
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Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble

Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble

Moein Abu Odeh clambered up a pile of rubble in southern Gaza, searching for clothes, shoes, anything he could sell to raise cash more than a year since Israel started its relentless bombardments.

The father-of-four delved under blocks and brushed away piles of concrete dust at the site of one airstrike in the wrecked city of Khan Younis. His plan was to sell what he found to buy flour.

"If food and drink were available, believe me, I would give (these clothes) to charity," he said. "But the struggles we are going through (mean we) have to sell our clothes to eat and drink."

Widespread shortages and months of grinding war have generated a trade in old clothing, much of it salvaged from the homes of people who have died in the conflict.

At one makeshift market, shoes, shirts, sweaters and sneakers were laid out on dusty blankets, Reuters reported.

A girl tried on a single worn-out boot, which could come in handy this winter if she can afford it in Gaza's ruined economy.

A trader got an edge on his competitors by shouting out that his wares were European.

One man laughed as he got a young boy to try on a green jacket.

"We get clothing from a man whose house was destroyed. He was digging in the concrete to get some (clothing) and we buy them like this and sell them at a good price," displaced Palestinian Louay Abdel-Rahman said.

He and his family arrived in the city from another part of Gaza with only the clothes they were wearing. So he also keeps some back for them. "The seasons have changed from summer to winter and we need clothing," he said.

In April, the UN estimated it would take 14 years to dispose of the wreckage in Gaza. The UN official overseeing the problem said the clean-up would cost at least $1.2 billion.

More than 128,000 buildings have been destroyed or severely or moderately damaged in Gaza as a result of the conflict, the UN says. Underneath all of that are seams of mangled clothes.

"All our children only have short-sleeve clothing and nobody is helping them," Saeed Doula, a father-of-seven, said. "The war is all-encompassing."