King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has approved the extension of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program for Foreign Scholarships for five more years. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted Dr. Khaled Bin Mohammad Al-Anqari, Minister of Higher Education, as saying that the program aims at providing citizens with opportunities to receive higher education from universities in advanced countries. He said that the extension of the program is a real opportunity for citizens to study and get the highest academic qualifications and degrees. The minister expressed his gratitude to the King for supporting the program. He said that the King's approval of the program is a testimony to importance the King, the crown prince and the second deputy premier attach to higher education for the citizens of the country. The program was established to sponsor highly qualified Saudi students to continue their studies in different universities across the globe. Since the inauguration of the scholarships program as many as 62,000 Saudi students have been sent to various colleges and universities around the world. The program is an integral aspect of the Kingdom's comprehensive education plan, focusing on job creation so that future generations are prepared to compete in an increasingly global economy. Scholarship candidates must meet the high level of academic standards set by the Ministry of Higher Education. Upon acceptance into the program, the students are sent to more than 21 different countries to pursue their undergraduate and graduate studies in a variety of academic fields.
