First group of doctors, engineers graduate from IMSIU

The Riyadh-based Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) celebrated the graduation of 17,000 students this year on Monday on its campus in the presence of Riyadh Gov. Prince Khaled bin Bandar and Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-Anqari.
This year’s 58th graduation ceremony has featured the first graduating classes from the faculties of medicine and engineering, said Saad Al-Gosaibi, IMSIU’s dean of admissions, in a statement.
He noted that this year’s ceremony included 132 who received doctoral degrees, 1,331 who received master’s degrees, 14,719 bachelor's degrees and 1,651 diploma certificates in various disciplines.
Speaking on the occasion, IMSIU’s Rector Suleiman Aba Al-Khail said: “The ceremony is historic for us and our country. We have new graduates in various fields that will undoubtedly boost the country’s economic development.
“This year is very significant for us in that we have a huge number of graduates and several Saudi men and women taking up medicine and engineering.”
Aba Al-Khail thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for his unwavering support for higher education at IMSIU.
“We are now producing high-caliber graduates to ensure the country’s sustained economic growth and competitiveness,” he said.
He said the presence of the Riyadh governor indicates the strong support of the country’s leadership for the education of its students, while providing them ample avenues of incentive for acquiring the knowledge and training they need.
“This is an extension of ongoing interest and the permanent importance attached to the university and all its activities, including scientific and cultural disciplines,” he said. “The leadership has been working tirelessly to promote science and human resources.”
This sponsorship marks a significant event in the history of the university, he said. “It is a tribute to the university and its graduates and is a source of jubilation.”