Scholarship students won’t have to look for jobs

RIYADH: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has teamed up with the Ministry of Education for the “Your Job and Scholarship” program.
The goal is to allow 1,000 Saudi students to take up courses in engineering for the industrial sector.
With the latest addition, the number of scholarships within the third phase of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship has now reached 43,600, according to Education Minister Azzam Al-Dakhil.
Saudi students under this new scheme will not have to look for jobs when they return; they will be immediately absorbed by these state organizations.
This ambitious program provides scholarships for the Kingdom’s nationals abroad with certain profession specifications based on government needs.
Al-Dakhil said this year’s program will cover various degrees such as bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in 479 courses and specialties. Recently, 10,000 places for the first year have been opened for applications.
Earlier, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, Saudi Arabian Airlines and the Ministry of Health inked similar partnerships based on these organizations’ manpower needs.
Al-Dakhil recently concluded a similar pact with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to grant 600 students scholarships abroad in airport security, aerial surveillance and monitoring and aviation safety. A similar partnership was concluded between the Ministry of Social Affairs to allocate 1,000 grants for social welfare-related jobs for rehabilitation of the disabled.
“It is a new scheme under which the Education Ministry will grant scholarships to Saudi students based on market needs and employ them when they return home on completing the course,” said Al-Dakhil.