Naimi said. "Nowhere is potential collaboration more vital than in terms of education and research. While I speak of assets, there can be no greater asset for any country than its people. Increasing educational standards is a must throughout the region, and a lot of hard work is going into developments in both Turkey and Saudi Arabia. In fact, 10% of Saudi Arabia's total budget is now spent on higher education. The King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST), located near Jeddah, is a prime example of our investment and our aspirations. The aim for the institution was to rekindle and spread the great and noble virtue of learning that has marked the Arab and Muslim worlds in earlier times. As a new House of Wisdom, we hope KAUST will be a beacon for peace, hope, and reconciliation. I am pleased to note that Turkey, also, is looking to create new education establishments to help its young people. Sabanci University, under whose auspices this event is being run, is a great example of what is possible. It speaks of Turkey's economic progress that one of its great conglomerates can contribute to this educational advancement. There can be no better investment. The Middle East will not fulfill its potential without well-educated young people. We need educated people to help drive economic growth, to create businesses, create value and opportunities. I hope both Sabanci University and KAUST, although catering for different students, go on to successfully compete in a challenging global market. More than this, I hope both on to contribute to the development of new scientific methods and techniques. Because before us are many challenges," Al-Naimi added. --More 20:13 LOCAL TIME 17:13 GMT تغريد
