King Abdullah Scholarship Program will continue to accommodate more Saudi students for the years to come as its original plan draws to a close by the end of next year, said Ali Al-Attiya, supervisor general of administrative and financial affairs at the Ministry of Higher Education. The program, which started in 2004 to educate Saudi students overseas, has proved its effectiveness with the first batch of sponsored students, encouraging the Ministry of Higher Education to extend it for new students, he added. Al-Attiya's comment came after reports saying that the scholarship program will be closed after its fifth year of operation by the end of 2009. The Ministry of Higher Education will continue the scholarship program as long as needed to provide the government and the job market with qualified Saudi manpower, Attiya said. There is an ongoing cooperation and coordination with the Ministry of Finance to fund the scholarship program, he said. The Saudi Cultural Attaché in Washington earlier this year recognized the first graduates of the scholarship program that included seven doctorates, 142 master's and 49 bachelor's degrees. About 15,000 Saudi students were scheduled to continue their higher education in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and some other parts of the world. – Okaz/SG __
