U.S. Embassy – Riyadh
Counselor for Public Affairs, Dr. Brian Shott
Exclusive to al-Riyadh newspaper
April 17, 2019
“It was great to attend the IECHE and see the interest and enthusiasm in higher education! Thanks to the Ministry of Education and the organizers for staging this major and important event and bringing together hundreds of colleges and universities from around the world. I was pleased to see that representatives from 85 leading U.S. universities participated in the IECHE and to meet Saudi students who are exploring new opportunities for international study. It was a special opportunity for these students and their families to get to know these institutions and learn about the programs they offer. The United States has been a top destination for Saudi students studying abroad, and we look forward to strengthening even further the ties between our two countries through education. We are grateful that scholarship programs, too, have focused on colleges and universities in the United States. There are over 4700 accredited institutions in the United States, and at the Embassy we have a special office, Education USA, to help students find the best fit and to work with the scholarship programs that help support Saudi students. The tens of thousands of young Saudis who study in America each year share Saudi culture at U.S. universities, enriching students’ experiences there and, we hope, return inspired to contribute to the future of Saudi Arabia.”
