Irish universities and institutes of technology will participate in the international education conference and exhibition, to be organized by the Saudi Ministry of Higher Education on April 17-20, 2012, at the Riyadh International Exhibition Center.
"We expect 11 to 12 universities and institutes of technology to take part in the exhibition," Irish Ambassador to the Kingdom Niall Holohan told Arab News in an exclusive interview at the embassy yesterday.
He said the exhibition was a good opportunity for Irish universities and technological institutes to show "the high quality of education in Ireland." According to him, this had been the reason that "at present, there are 2,000 Saudi students studying at seven Irish universities and 13 institutes of technology," taking up medicine, engineering and science. There are also Saudis studying English, he said.
Holohan added that Saudi universities and colleges had also brought Irish educators to teach in the Kingdom. One of them is Hollohan's daughter, who teaches at a university in Riyadh.
According to the ambassador, there are now about 2,000 Irish nationals in Saudi Arabia, some of whom are managers and technical experts at Al-Marai.
Hollohan added that the Irish universities' participation in the international conference and exhibition in Riyadh is expected to boost bilateral ties between the two countries. "Ireland has been enjoying excellent bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia, but there is much room for improvement, considering the two countries have similar stands on international issues such as Palestinian statehood and a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East," he said.
Bilateral trade, he said, currently crosses $1 billion, including services. "In Nov. 2012, a big trade delegation will also visit the Kingdom to promote various Irish products, with emphasis on global energy, education, food and construction," he said.
© Arab News 2012
