In a meeting with caretaker Education Minister Madad Ali Sindhi, representatives from Saudi Arabia announced their decision to increase scholarships for Pakistani students and initiate an exchange program for teachers. The meeting included Riyadh’s Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University President Dr Ahmed Bin Salem Al Amri, Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Bin Saeed Al Malkiy, and International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) President Prof Dr Hathal Homoud Alotaibi. Minister Sindhi praised the Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University for its rich history and prestige and stated his commitment to prioritizing the quality of education, reducing out-of-school children, and conducting research on the life of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). He also offered 15 research fellowships to Saudi Arabia at Quaid-i-Azam University. The IIUI president received recognition for his exemplary efforts in improving the standard of education at IIUI. The minister emphasized the importance of collaboration between universities in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to enhance research on Islamic teachings and political, judicial, and legal aspects. The president of Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University agreed to initiate an exchange program for teachers to conduct research on the life of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). The president also announced an increase in scholarships for Pakistani students and expressed a desire for collaboration in fields such as medicine, cyber security, climate change, engineering, artificial intelligence, distance learning, and renewable energy. Both sides agreed to start an exchange program to train faculty at the university level. The minister highlighted the need to train teachers at madrassas and suggested Saudi Arabia’s assistance in training clerics teaching at seminaries in Pakistan. The minister also requested the creation of Arabic language courses for Pakistanis, which the Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University president stated could be done through distance learning or exchange of teachers. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen the strategic relationship between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The IIUI president expressed the view that Pakistanis are considered “blood brothers” by the people of Saudi Arabia and emphasized his commitment to academic education and character development based on the teachings of Islam. The IIUI offers basic courses in Arabic language to enable people to read the Quran and understand the true teachings of Islam without mediation.
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