www.saudiaustraliaonline.com June 2010 Issue 41 Vol 5

Full Story  Page 2-3

SAUDI MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION VISITS AUSTRALIA Special Edition

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e fifth an-niversary of theBaiah (Pledgeof Allegiance)to Custodian ofthe Two HolyMosques KingAbdullah fallson Wednesday.“e Baiah” isthe traditionalIslamic systemof the subjectsexpressing theirapproval andwelcoming anew ruler.Since the

Pledge of Allegiance on Jamad Al-ani 26, 1426 Aug.1, 2005 the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has witnessedenormous achievements in all fields, including education,health, social affairs, transport, communications, industry,electricity, water and agriculture.Commenting on King Abdullah’s rule in the past fiveyears, Speaker of the Shoura Council Abdullah Al-Asheikh said the past five years have brought a new eraof security, stability, national unity and social cohesioncombined with progress in all fields.“History will record that King Abdullah fulfilled his com-

mitment to the citizens when they gave him the Pledge ofAllegiance five years ago. His major concern since then hasbeen the welfare of the people of the Kingdom. He visitedall parts of the Kingdom to see them in person and learntheir needs. He initiated huge projects worth billions for theirwelfare,” Al-Asheikh said.e launch of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques KingAbdullah bin Abdulaziz International Award for Translationwas a clear example of the King's efforts to promote under-standing between cultures and civilizations.e king approved the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Inter-national Award for Heritage and Culture as an extension ofhis noble actions to build bridges of contacts between cul-tures and civilizations.

e king has been ranked thefirst among the leaders havingthe most popular support in theIslamic world and one amongtop 10 most influential person-alities in the world.e Kingdom has beenawarded Prize of Merit fromthe World Bank in recognitionof the steps taken recently inthe area of economic reforms.e Kingdom also figures in the

The Saudi Australia Bulletin looks intosome of the King’s most notableachievements in the past 5 years

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Saudi students pursuing higher studies in Australia New

Zealand, US and Canada, on their own expense can

now also benefit from the King Abdullah Foreign Schol-

arship Program, Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-

Anqari said.

“Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah

has approved a proposal allowing these regular Saudi

private students to join the foreign scholarship pro-

gram,” the minister said, welcoming the king’s gesture.

Ali bin Sulaiman Al-Attiyah, deputy minister of higher

education, commended King Abdullah’s continuous ges-

tures toward Saudi students abroad.

Up to four children of a scholarship beneficiary can

benefit from allowances, he pointed out.

The King Abdullah Scholarship Program has made re-

markable progress during the last five years in terms

of quantity and quality.

At present more than 80,000 students in 25 countries

benefit from the program. Thirty-two cultural attaches

have been appointed at foreign missions to supervise

these students.The program has been expanded re-

cently to accommodate technical students who will be

sent to at least 20 countries for higher studies, includ-

ing the US, UK and Australia.

ing the Kingdom into a knowledge-based society was tosend a large number of students abroad for higher studies.As many as 80,000 men and women have been sent to morethan 25 countries under the Custodian of the Two HolyMosques Program for Foreign Scholarships.During the king’s rule, 24 government and nine private uni-versities have been established. ey provided higher edu-cation to some 1 million men and women and employed ateaching staff of 33,000 in 2009-2010. e king also estab-lished 34,000 schools for five million students. e schoolsemploy 470,000 male and female teachers.In 2009, the king was awarded ''Prize of World Championin the Battle Against Hunger in 2008'' in recognition of hissupport for UN humanitarian programs and his donationto World Food Program.e Kingdom has spent more than SR70 billion for the

development of the two holy cities in Makkah and Madi-nah in recent years.“e most notable of the king’s service to the Haram wasthe expansion of the Masaa (the running space betweenSafa and Marwah) to four floors at a total cost of more thanSR3 billion so that pilgrims can perform the Haj rites com-fortably,” Al-Khozaim said.Besides the expansion work of the courtyard of the GrandMosque, he referred to the huge expansion work, includingthe installation of 182 giant umbrellas, being undertaken atthe Prophet’s Mosque.

list of the top 10 countries that have undertaken economicreforms. King Abdullah announced the allocation of $500 millionin soft loans through Saudi Development Fund for financ-ing projects in developing countries.He also announced the Kingdom's donation of $1 billionfor the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip at the KuwaitEconomic, Developmental and Social Summit in 2009.e king made a grant of $500 million to the Lebanesepeople for the establishment of an international Arab fundfor the reconstruction of Lebanon. In the third Paris Con-ference in January 2007, Saudi Arabia provided Lebanonwith aid totaling $1 billion for developmental projects.Another step the king took in the direction of transform-

His Excellency, e Min-ister of Higher Educa-tion, Dr. Khalid Al

Anqari has visited Australia on an official tour which lasted severaldays. e visit was opened with an official dinner held by Ambassador Has-san Nazer at the Parliament House in Canberra, in the company ofseveral parliament offcials, accompanying delegations of the Minister

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and members and officials of the SaudiEmbassy in Australia. In the Ambassador’s speech, he acknowl-edged the Kingdom’s efforts along withthose of the Minister of Higher Educa-

tion, in promoting the Education ofSaudi students in Australia.“I am very pleased to see the rapid

growth in the numbers of Saudi stu-dents in Australia, which was only afew dozens in 2006 with a budget ofnot more than 50 million dollars, Asthese numbers increased reaching anamount of well over 12000 studentsin 2009, the yearly budget was alsoincreased to a value of 500 milliondollars,” said the ambassador.

Nazer holds Dinner 

in honour of H.E

Dr. Khaled Al Anqari

H.E Dr. Khaled Al Anqari with

Ambassador Hassan Nazer

H.E Dr Khaled Al Anqari and H.E Ambassador Hassan Nazer with MP Maria

Vamvakinou and MP Bruce Scott of the Saudi Friendship Association

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His Excellency Minister of Higher Education Dr.Khalid ibn Mohammad Al Anqari patronized atsydney the graduation ceremony for the students in

Australia this year, in the presence of more than1500 schol-arship students from various of Australian states. e ceremony was attended by officials of the Ministry ofHigher Education and the Embassy of the Custodian of theTwo Holy Mosques and the cultural mission in Australia.At the beginning of the ceremony Dr. Al Anqari opened thescientific achievements exhibition associated with the cere-mony, which a group of outstanding students, obtaining apatent in Australian universities presented a projects and sci-entific innovations, manufactured by Saudi hands, and wonthe global and local credits, then began the march of maleand female graduates, who numbered about 850 studentsfrom various disciplines and Australian universities.

“The rapid development of the Kingdom

at this prosperous reign is due to Allah

Almighty and then to the

wise leadership of King

Abdullah, where he

envisions the growth of

capable Saudi citizens

into those whom are

both achievers and

innovators”H.E Dr Khaled Al Anqari

AMBASSADOR NAZER OPENS NEW ZEALAND CULTURAL MISSION

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His Excellency Minister of Higher Education Dr. Khalid Al Anqariand Mr. Hassan Talat Nazer the Saudi ambassador to Australia hasinaugurated the new premises of Saudi cultural mission in Australia,and the program of electronic trading system, which linksthe mission with the Ministry of Higher Education.Dr. Al-Anqari said "the transfer of the cultural missionin Australia for its new premises is one of the steps whichrepresent actual and productive responsive, towards theongoing development and expansion that have occurredon a daily basis the King Abdullah Scholarship Program".Dr. Anl Anqari then went to meet with Minister for In-novation, Industry, Science and Research Senator Hon.Kim Carr at the Commonwealth Scientific and IndustrialResearch Organisation (CSIRO). (pictured right)

Saudi Ambassador H.E Hassan Nazer has opened the build-ings of Saudi Consulate General and Cultural Attaché Officein the city of Auckland, New Zealand.e opening ceremonies were attended by Saudi Consul Gen-eral in New Zealand Ahmed Al-Juhani and Cultural AttacheAbdulsalam Sheikh.e Ambassador said that the opening of the two new build-ings shows the interest of the Government of the Custodianof the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdulaziz inall Saudi embassies and cultural attaché offices to facilitateservices for Saudi citizens and students on scholarships.

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Student exchanges and research collaboration will be en-couraged under a new education agreement signed byAustralia and Saudi Arabia. Education Minister Julia

Gillard met her Saudi counterpart Dr Khalid bin Mo-hammed Al Ankary in Canberra.e pair signed a memorandum of cooperation which MsGillard said built on the ties the two nations already shared.Dr Ankary and Ms Gillard discussed their commitment tosharing information and resources between Saudi Arabianand Australian high education institutions at the meeting.eir memorandum will encourage research cooperation, theexchange of academic staff, researchers and students and sup-port international scholarships. It also fosters the translationof both nations' distinguished research, to allow expertise tobe shared beyond language barriers.

H.E Dr Khaled Al Anqari and Ambassador Hassan Nazer

with MP Julia Gillard (above) and (below) MP Stephen Smith

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NZ EDUCATIONAGREEMENTWITH SAUDI

ANQARI TEAMS UP WITH AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITITES

e Saudi Minister of Higher Education has vis-ited both Sydney University and UNSW in a bidto increase ties of cooperation. He also met withNSW Governor Mrs. Marie Bashir and signedagreements of cooperation with Sydney University.

Education Minister Anne Tolley and the Kingdom of

Saudi Arabia's Minister of Higher Education, Dr

Khalid Bin Mohammed Al Ankary have signed an

agreement to strengthen and increase New

Zealand's educational and science engagement with

the Kingdom.

"Saudi Arabia is an important education partner for

New Zealand," says Mrs Tolley.

"It is it now our fifth largest source of international

students, worth an estimated $250 million in rev-

enue each year. Many New Zealand education

providers also have long established links with Saudi

Arabia for the delivery of our education services

there.

"This agreement is a significant step for New

Zealand. Relationships between our Governments

are a prerequisite for establishing and maintaining

student numbers from Saudi Arabia.”

The agreement outlines the basis for New

Zealand's education engagement with Saudi Arabia

over the next five years in the educational and sci-

entific fields, in both the compulsory and tertiary

sectors.

Collaboration could include joint research projects,

joint academic programmes and student and faculty

exchange particularly in the science, technology and

medical fields.