The US capital late Saturday night witnessed a colorful ceremony to mark the graduation of the 5th batch of students under King Abdullah Foreign Scholarship Program. More than 6000 Saudi students graduated from various US institutions this year. They included those who attended bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs. The event was attended by Saudi Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir, Deputy Minister of Education Nora Al-Fayez, Saudi Cultural Attache in Washington Mohammed Aleissa, and other senior officials. Aleissa gave an inspiring speech in which he congratulated the graduates for their achievement and the promising role they have as the future leaders of the country. Ambassador Al-Jubeir, in an equally inspiring speech, thanked the young graduates for their distinguished roles as the cultural ambassadors of the Kingdom. Deputy Education Minister Al-Fayez spoke about the educational reforms under way in the Kingdom. She stressed the need for change in order to implement a progressive strategy that would transform the Kingdom into a knowledge-based economy. She also highlighted the future role of women in the country's Shoura and municipal councils. She stressed the need for greater participation by Saudi women in the decision-making process. A job fair was held on the sidelines of the event, giving an opportunity to the new graduates to apply for thousands of openings in the ministries, major corporations and many private sector institutions. Representatives from the newly established universities, Saudi Aramco, petrochemical giant SABIC and other major companies as well as the industrial cities in all regions of the Kingdom were present at the job fair looking for qualified graduates. Hitherto, the high rate of unemployment among Saudis was largely blamed on poor academic standards and their lack of skills required in the job market. All government departments and major private sector companies are on the lookout for qualified Saudis. Their participation in the job market is expected to give a new impetus to the nation's development. The King Abdullah Scholarship Program gave the students an opportunity to build bridges of understanding with their counterparts from the rest of the world. It also helped increase cultural exchanges and eradicate misconceptions and stereotypes about Saudi Arabia and its people. The graduates said they gained invaluable experience and expertise in their various fields of study. They hoped that the skills they gained through academic programs and interactions with fellow students in the US could help them effectively contribute in the nation-building process. __
