Mariam Nihal Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Most expatriate students living in the Kingdom go abroad to pursue higher education due to a lack of reputable private universities. Saudi students who are unable to find their preferred majors on offer in the Kingdom's colleges and universities are also forced to move abroad in order to complete their undergraduate and postgraduate studies. While a host of Arab countries particularly in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have invited foreign universities to open satellite campuses in their centers of higher education, Saudi Arabia has not allowed a single foreign university to open a campus in the country. In the United Arab Emirates, the American University in Dubai, Middlesex University Dubai and Wollongong University in Dubai have opened campuses as part of the Emirati government's hopes that education practices of Western countries can be adapted locally. Qatar has also followed suit by becoming host to several reputable American universities including Georgetown, Northwestern, Texas A&M and Cornell. Maliha Khan is a student counselor who has lived in the Kingdom for over 30 years. Khan said a brain drain is taking place in which both expatriates and citizens educated in the Kingdom's schools leave the country to study and work in countries where opportunities are limitless. “I have seen many bright students travel abroad for their studies. Most of my Saudi students who have traveled to the US on scholarships choose to stay there. I think the Kingdom loses a lot of potential every year, not to mention the money spent on government scholarship recipients. If Saudi Arabia's higher education system had more to offer, I believe more nationals and expatriates would choose to study and find employment here,” she said. “Instead of going to the UAE, Egypt, Qatar or other Arab countries, students would come here. I am sure people, especially Muslims in India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Canada and the United Kingdom would love to send their children to a safe Islamic country. The Kingdom should become a pioneer in education,” she added. Sara Mohammad, a 24-year-old Filipino born in the Kingdom, faced a dilemma when she wanted to pursue a graduate degree. Unable to adjust to her native Philippines' education system, Sara returned to Saudi Arabia, which she considers home, only to be unable to afford tuition at the country's private universities. “I was born and raised here but my parents expected me to go back to the Philippines and pursue my masters. I was unable to readjust there because the education system was foreign to me. Like any Saudi, I would like to live and graduate in my home country. My parents cannot afford to send me abroad to the UK or Canada and the local universities here are also very expensive. I just don't know what to do,” she said. Every year, the Ministry of Higher Education sends thousands of Saudi students abroad on the King Abdullah Foreign Scholarship Program so they can go to leading universities all over the world and pursue higher studies in their respective fields. Students receive full tuition benefits, monthly stipends for living expenses, medical insurance and annual round trip tickets. Dependents receive the same benefits. Mada Adil, a medical student, said instead of spending money on sending Saudi students abroad, foreign universities should be invited into the Kingdom. “The amount of money the government spends on sending Saudi students abroad could be invested in opening a university here. I mean they sent me with my brother, as my 'mahram' (legal male guardian) to the UK. They paid for him just because I am a girl who cannot travel without her 'mahram'. I appreciate the ongoing support of the government to Saudi students and their financial aid but this is not the solution. Why don't we have an American university here? They have one in Sharjah, Dubai, Cairo and Beirut so why not here?” Adil Sami, a Saudi entrepreneur who divides his time between Jeddah and New York, agreed. Sami said local customs and traditions can be accommodated but foreign universities should be invited to help spur innovation and development of the Kingdom's higher education sector. “The opening of a foreign university could face objections from conservatives. I am assuming it is because they believe an American or Canadian university would be gender-mixed and they do not want that to affect our culture. But they can be segregated, so what's the problem?” In a recent interview with Forbes Magazine, Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, wife of the Emir of Qatar, described the Qatari government's role in transforming the country into knowledge-based society. “Qatar has put education at the very heart of government policy. We have consistently sought to provide Qataris with the very best education and training opportunities, reforming our curricula and investing heavily in schools, teachers and facilities. For instance, our Education City campus in Doha encompasses education, innovation and delivery, from school age to research level.” Like other GCC states, Saudi Arabia is trying to establish a knowledge-based society, where knowledge, rather than capital or labor, is the primary production resource. Many believe more needs to be done to achieve such an ambitious goal. “It's about time we invest in the education sector of the country. After all, without education there is no progress. This is one of the major reason Sheikh Mohammed (Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates) has established a standard class of education for UAE nationals, residents and foreigners. We need to learn and implement the best standard of educational facilities in our country with the abundant resources we have,” said Aziza Shareef, a British national married to a Saudi.
