Saudi Arabia has launched a new initiative to bring in students and researchers from around the world to study in Saudi universities, and benefit from the various academic curricula in its colleges, universities, and institutes.
Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan opened the forum on the “Study in Saudi Arabia Initiative” on Monday, in the presence of ambassadors, diplomats, and representatives of international organizations.
The forum aims at showcasing the details of the initiative and the accompanying exhibit exploring the opportunities to bring exceptional students from around the world to study in Saudi universities.
The Minister said Saudi Arabia is a major destination for scientific research and innovation, and that the unlimited support provided by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has helped guaranty a special and sustainable research environment.
Al-Benyan invited the ambassadors and diplomats in the Kingdom to explore the educational opportunities and various academic programs to open the door for collaborations with distinguished researchers from different fields.
He also noted that joining the academic programs in Saudi universities enables international students to benefit from the new curricula and advanced facilities, and offers chances to interact with various cultures and enjoy new experiences and rich educational journeys.
“Bringing students, researchers, and interns from around the world to join the Saudi higher education institutions is an integral part of the kingdom’s view to develop the educational sector and boost its international position. It also contributes to fulfilling the fourth sustainability goal (good education), and boosting students’ flow from around the world and promoting scientific and cultural exchange,” he explained.
Al-Benyan also shed light on the care given to the Arabic language as a universal language, and how Saudi Arabia is the perfect destination to learn it and explore its fine cultural heritage. The economic shifts in the world have placed the Kingdom among the fastest growing economies, which helped create opportunities of technical and vocational development in different sectors including oil and gas, renewable energy, technology, and business.
74,000 students from around the world
Saudi universities have hosted over 74,000 students from around the world, and graduated more than 140,000 students from 160 countries in various specialties and academic levels, who benefited from the exceptional educational level and the high-quality outputs in the kingdom.
Dr. Sami Al-Haisouni, director of the scholarships department for non-Saudi students at the Ministry of Education, said the “Study in Saudi Arabia Initiative” 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.
Advanced Saudi universities
Saudi Arabia is a major cultural destination and a fine educational hub that has achieved a significant advancement over the past decades as a result of the guided support to develop the education sector, promote its outputs, and transform the conventional education system into a modern one.
The “Study in Saudi Arabia” platform opens the doors of Saudi universities for those willing to join from around the world to invest and develop their skills, benefit from the outstanding capabilities of the Kingdom’s universities, educational facilities, and research centers that serve all kind of scientific purposes.
The development efforts in the Saudi education sector have leveled up some Saudi universities to pioneering ranks. The Times’ World University Rankings 2023 includes 21 Saudi universities compared with 15 last year; seven Saudi universities were among the best worldwide, according to QS Universities Rankings 2021. The Kingdom has also ranked 36th among the best higher education systems in the world.
Public and private Saudi universities showcased their capacities in the exhibition accompanying the forum. They also introduced their educational and academic programs, seats allocated to international students, admission details, and academic information that students need to learn.
In addition to presenting the Ministry of Education’s approach for studying in Saudi Arabia, the forum provides comprehensive information, figures, and statistics about studies in the Kingdom, advantages, universities, colleges, and institutes, as well as the diploma, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in many fields including computer and Islamic law.
