Saudi GazetteThe King's investment in the youth is one of his most prominent initiatives since ascending the throne. Testament to his commitment was the creation of the King Abdullah scholarship program in May 2005.The program aims to provide world-class support for universities. The goal is to supply both the public and private sectors with highly qualified graduates who can compete on an international level in the various fields of scientific research. Students were initially sent to the United States of America and later around the world including; Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Australia, Germany, The Netherlands, Poland, New Zealand, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, People's Republic of China, Malaysia, India and South Africa.The program allowed citizens to broaden their horizons and their career opportunities “I had never dreamt of living anywhere other than Saudi and now I live in Tokyo, it is an experience I wouldn't have missed for the world” said Samaher Al Jehani a student at Yamanashi University in Japan. According to ‘Saudis in USA' — an organization created to help students in the US - the Ministry requested King Abdullah to renew the program for another five-year period at beginning of 2010. The King obliged and the extension brought hope to many more Saudis students and “the program broadened the intellect of an entire generation giving them the opportunity to fulfill their dreams and become the catalyst of change for their country” said Saudis in USA.There are no limits to the Kings generosity and support for his people. “I was paying my own tuition till the scholarship program and it motivated me to push myself and maintain my grades as well as obtain my Master's degree” said Nouran Al Fadel a student at the American University of Sharjah.“None of us had ever been out of the kingdom before. Thanks to the Kings generosity both my wife and I have completed our studies and got excellent positions in large corporations — jobs we were previously considered under-qualified for” said Faisal Abdulshakoor Human Resources Manager of MENA region at Johnson Control's.“We are now able to articulate and chave omprehended many things that we didn't even think of before. Our experience was very rich because it was filled with not only the knowledge of books but the knowledge of life” said students at Indiana University Bloomington. The program motivated students to be ambassadors of Islam through spreading knowledge about their religion with the motive of clarifying its teachings “I have found that many have a vague or blurry vision of Islam so I decided to make it my mission to clear the misconceptions” said Norah Al Ghamdi a student at the University of Brighton, UK. Believing in us is highly appreciated “we couldn't thank His majesty by any means, all we can do is work hard and serve our country the best way upon our return” said Dr. Nabil Mabrook a resident at Université de Haute-Alsace:Mulhouse, France. __
