JEDDAH, 12 November 2002 — Higher Education Minister Dr. Khaled Al-Anqari said yesterday that his ministry has approved 33 private colleges and 13 community colleges.
Speaking to Okaz newspaper, he said higher education institutions in the Kingdom had admitted more secondary school graduates this year than in previous years. "We have given seats to 162,815 applicants from a total of 199,056 secondary school graduates," he said.
He said efforts are under way to open six community colleges in Baha, Jeddah, Najran, Riyadh, Dammam and Alkharj by the middle of this academic year.
"We have given license to establish 33 new private colleges in various parts of the Kingdom," the minister said, adding that classes have commenced in six private colleges. The ministry has also approved two private universities — Prince Sultan Private University and Dar Al-Faisal University. There are eight universities in the Kingdom. They are: King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, King Saud University, Imam Muhammed ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, Madinah Islamic University, Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, King Faisal University in Dammam and King Khaled University in Abha.
