Education is a must for all and an important thing to assimilate in life. Not only does it enhances one's knowledge, but it also provides the key to unlock the door toward employment, on many occasions, and in the process makes one more worldly. Every family, be it Saudi or expatriate, will do all in their power to educate themselves and their children. To the extent, those who have missed out on the opportunity to educate themselves, or wasted it, make it a point to pass on the message about the importance of education to their offspring even citing their own examples of failing to enter or being held back in the global empowerment race. Following the advancement of the information technology revolution in the past two decades it has turned the world into a global village. With the enhancement of knowledge through the ICT superhighways what seems to be the best global currency that is easily understood and used is — education. With such a situation globally, it is no wonder that every country is facing these challenges head on. Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in its youth by setting aside a huge chunk of the budget for this sector and using it to build schools and universities while employing the best available talent to spread knowledge. They also have established a scholarship program so as to empower the youth and build for the future. The same cannot be said for the expatriates, however, as they face a myriad of difficulties when it comes to higher education for their progenies. Though the Ministry of Education has allowed them to establish schools at the primary and middle school levels, there is nowhere for the children of these expatriates to go in search of higher education, except back home. The majority of expatriates living in the Kingdom have to make the difficult choice of staying or leaving when their children reach the age of university education. Both ways he gets squeezed — it is the devil or the deep sea. If they leave they lose a lucrative opportunity to earn for themselves and their family a future nest egg. If they stay on then they have to either resort to forced bachelorhood or break the family up by sending their children to universities back home or abroad. Since their children are not allowed in Saudi universities, the majority of them end up sending their children abroad to complete their education and in the process make a deep dent in their pockets. An Egyptian friend of mine, who spent more than 20 years living and working in the Kingdom, told me about the painful decision that he had to take when his daughter reached the age to attend a university. My friend is managing a printing press and he is successful at his job. He tried to get her admitted in the Kingdom but all roads were blocked. He faced no other choice but to send his daughter back to Egypt to study. To do that, he was forced to send his wife with her so she could take care of her. It is difficult for him to live in one country while his wife and daughter are in another country. When there is a problem that requires his presence, he travels between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The main problem is that his son is still in middle school and he has to stay with his father in Jeddah. The daughter is living away from her father and the son is away from the mother. Another friend of mine from India also suffered the same problem when it was time for his son to attend university. He was forced to send his son to Malaysia to complete his university education. He always wanted his son be next to him and to be there if he needed him, not nine hours flight away. He was always complaining why there wasn't a university in Saudi Arabia where expatriate children could gain admission. The private universities and colleges currently in the Kingdom do not fit his budget. These are two people that I know and I am sure that the majority of expatriates living in the Kingdom have faced similar issues one time or another and arrived at a painful decision. In addition they have the enviable task of keeping track of the exit-re-entry dates of their wives and children. If they have more than one child, and they study in different universities, the imbroglio of keeping the dates in check and the children's holidays would be enough to drive the person crazy. Invariably, many expatriates just give up the children's residency and hope that they would be able to come on visits whenever time permitted. The simplest solution staring at everybody's face is to establish a university, which the expatriates could attend. Now what will happen if the government decided to establish a university for expatriates only. This way expatriates working in the Kingdom will not have to suffer when their kids come of age, and they will not have to be sent away for higher studies. In addition to offering the expatriates a way out, the Kingdom can get some of the money, which the expatriates send out for these education. Some may argue that expatriates are not nationals and they are here in the Kingdom on temporary basis. Although I do not agree with that completely but in some cases it is true. What I know and the majority of people believe is that education is a noble message. It is a must for everyone who is able to educate himself and his children. Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: “It is obligatory for every Muslim, male or female, to acquire knowledge”. I believe it is within our duties toward those living in the Kingdom to provide for them university education. If we look at it from an economic point of view, then the country will benefit from it financially. We have to put one thing in mind that the average stay for expatriates in the Kingdom is between 10 to 15 years. By that time children grow up and reach university age. An expatriates-only university, which is financially affordable by the average expatriate, would not only go a long way to solve the problem of expatriates in the Kingdom, but will also help in creating jobs for Saudis. It will also generate income in our market. Why do universities in other nations benefit from the expatriates who are living in the Kingdom? If the expatriate worker at the end of the day decides to send his son or daughter back to their countries, then that it is his/her choice. I believe that we will be hitting two birds with one stone. The Kingdom is always known for its humanity toward helping nations in the region and extending the hand of help to those who need it abroad. Saudi Arabia's record in helping other nations speaks for itself. This help should be extended toward those living within the Kingdom. I think it would be a good idea if a university for expatriates only were established in the Kingdom with branches all over the major cities. There are over eight million expatriates living in the Kingdom and businessmen should look at it as a huge market in the education sector. Some people may agree with me and some may object. I just hope that the worry and suffering of the expatriate working in the Kingdom will end and not break up his family. Stability is needed so they could focus more on their jobs in the Kingdom. — The writer can be contacted at [email protected]
