ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia has decided to increase scholarships for Pakistani students as well as introduce an exchange programme for teachers to conduct research on the life of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), said its representatives in a meeting with caretaker Education Minister Madad Ali Sindhi on Monday.

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 met the caretaker minister.

Mr Sindhi praised the Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University and said that it “has a rich history and prestige”. He said that he has prioritised the quality of education, reduction of out-of-school children, and research on ‘Seerat-un-Nabi’ (PBUH) since taking over as the education minister on an interim basis. He also offered 15 research fellowships to Saudi Arabia at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad.

According to a press release, the minister said the efforts of the IIUI president were exemplary, stating that the “standard of education at IIUI has been consistently on the rise under the leadership of Dr Hathal Homoud Alotaibi”.

Mr Sindhi said that there should be a collaboration between the universities in KSA and Pakistan to enhance and broaden the scope of research on ‘shariat’, role of judiciary, Islamic law, and political teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

The president of Riyadh’s Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University agreed to start the exchange programme for teachers at university-level for research on Seerat-un-Nabi (PBUH).

He said the kingdom offered 700 scholarships to Pakistani students and it planned to increase that number of scholarships in accordance with the desire of Pakistan’s education ministry. He also said that there should be collaboration on topics of mutual interest such as medicine, cyber security, climate change, engineering, artificial intelligence, distance learning, and renewable energy.

He also stressed the need to exchange expertise and both sides agreed to start an exchange programme on the training of faculty at the university level.

The caretaker minister highlighted the need to train teachers at madrassas, saying Saudi Arabia could help train clerics teaching at seminaries in Pakistan.

Mr Madad also highlighted the need to create Arabic language courses for the people of Pakistan. The Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University president said that there were excellent Arabic language institutes in the kingdom, which could extend their programmes to the universities in Pakistan via distance learning or exchange of teachers.

He said that the purpose of his visit was to enhance and strengthen the strategic relationship between the two countries.

The president of the IIUI said that the people of Saudi Arabia considered Pakistanis as “blood brothers”. He said he has devoted his time in Pakistan for the betterment of Pakistani society in light of the teachings of Islam.

He said that academic education has been the top priority in addition to the character building of the masses while instilling tolerance in society. The IIUI head said that basic courses of Arabic language were offered by the IIUI to ensure that “people can read Quran and Sunnah” in Arabic and understand the “true teachings of Islam without the need of any mediation”.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2023