Australian minister to hold key talks

RIYADH: A 20-member delegation from Australia, headed by Minister for Tourism and International Education Sen. Richard Colbeck, will meet senior government officials on Wednesday.
This was announced at a press conference addressed by Ambassador Dr. Ralph King and Australia’s Senior Trade Commissioner Mark Morley.
“The bilateral talks between the officials of the two countries will enhance the existing areas of relationships in education, health care, aviation, mining, agriculture and technical training,” the envoy said.
Australia has 24 universities on the list of the Top 200 most internationalized universities in the world, and 16 in the Top 100, according to the international ranking agency, Times Higher Education.
Its commitment to international engagement is demonstrated in the National Innovation and Science Agenda which further enhances Australia’s global reputation as a leader in research and education into the future.
The envoy said there currently are some 10,000 Saudi students studying in various colleges and universities in Australia. He said his country remains the the fourth largest destination for Saudi students after the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Most Saudi students who stay with their families in Australia follow courses in engineering, agriculture, mining, health care, and oil and gas related fields.
He said the visiting delegation, which will be hosted by Minister of Education Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Issa, will also hold talks with officials of the Ministry of Health, the Technical Vocational Training Corporation and King Fahd Medical City in Riyadh.
He also said that his country maintains two aviation training colleges in Jeddah, run by Saudi Arabian Airlines, with another in Riyadh.
Bilateral trade between the two countries has reached SR 2.9 billion, which is in favor of Australia whose exports to the Kingdom include passenger motor vehicles, dairy and meat products.
The ambassador pointed out that tourism is one area which Australia wants to promote among Saudis and expatriates in the Kingdom. “We are planning an air service agreement with the Kingdom to facilitate direct flights to Australia from the Kingdom,” he said, adding that currently passengers from Saudi Arabia find convenient connections from United Arab Emirates to various destinations in Australia.
“We are also interested in entering into a free trade agreement with the GCC, of which Saudi Arabia is a member,” he said.