Yemeni university branches ordered closed

Yemen’s minister of higher education has ordered the closure of all Yemeni university branches in the Kingdom.
As such, students enrolled in distance learning courses at these universities will now be unable to obtain their bachelor's degrees.
The move is a result of the violation of Saudi laws that stipulate that universities be in possession of a valid license in order to open offices to provide distant learning programs. Such branches were catering to expat students living in Jeddah and Riyadh.
Some universities had even opened branches at the Consulate General of Yemen, which have since been shut down.
Many students complained about the poor quality of distant learning programs provided by Yemeni universities. They also complained about delays in receiving their academic certificates.
At least 1,500 students studying on the University of Sanaa’s satellite campuses in Jeddah and Riyadh were left in the lurch after an agent responsible for collecting students’ fees allegedly absconded with more than SR40 million, according to university court documents obtained by Arab News.
Bandar Al-Qataa, a lawyer speaking on behalf of the students, said: “Students studying at the University of Sanaa via the distant learning mode have received their academic certificate. Unfortunately, the university and other Yemeni universities were forced to close their doors just before students studying at the Jeddah and Riyadh branches could get their certifications,” he told Arab News.
The university’s failure to deliver the certificates has complicated the residency status of numerous expatriate students from Yemen, Syria, Eritrea, Jordan, Palestine and Sudan.
Anowar Al-Yamani, admissions department manager at the university’s Riyadh branch, earlier confirmed that the University of Sanaa would issue certificates but that it would take time.
The University of Science and Technology is the only Yemeni university in the Kingdom which has the approval of the Yemeni government but has no official permit from Saudi authorities to open up distance learning branches.
In fact, most Yemeni universities, such the University of Sabaa, Al-Hudaydah and Aden, have no license to operate branches in the Kingdom.
Distance learning is the preferred mode of study for thousands of expatriate students in the Kingdom, but foreign universities need a valid license from the Ministry of Higher Education before they can begin to offer courses.