WASHINGTON: In a speech via video circuit, James B. Smith, US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, congratulated King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, on the graduation of the fourth batch of Saudi students on scholarships in the US, noting that the graduates are among more than 43,500 Saudi students studying now in the United States, adding that more than 5,000 students will join the program in the sixth batch next year. In his message to the Saudi graduates, Smith expressed his “warmest greetings to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for his vision and leadership in this scholarship program”, adding that “your graduation today is vindication that his vision is a noble one.” “Among the many things that I hope you take away from your American experience is an appreciation for some of the positive aspects of America and the American character,” he said. “Be part of the knowledge-based society that King Abdullah has started building in Saudi Arabia. Come back home and make this country great.”
