Sultan Al-Sughair

Saudi Gazette

DHAHRAN — About 1,500 students of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Dhahran were honored at a graduation ceremony here on Wednesday.



Prince Saud Bin Naif, Emir of the Eastern Province, attended the function at the university’s sports stadium.



The batch included first semester graduates and nominees from the second semester, totaling 1,496 students of which 1,236 were undergraduates, 236 master’s students and 24 PhD students.



KFUPM Rector Khaled Bin Saleh Al-Sultan thanked Prince Saud for his presence at the university's 43rd graduation ceremony, which he said was in appreciation of KFUPM’s role in rehabilitating and preparing students to become productive members of society when they enter the job market.



Al-Sultan said the prince's gesture also reflected the great interest given to education under the Saudi leadership.



He added that KFUPM has always been committed to updating its education standards to maintain quality that is on a par with global institutions, something which was possible thanks to the advanced facilities and a highly-competent teaching staff that encourages students to harness the latest technologies and constantly improve their skills.



“I warmly congratulate the graduates, their parents, professors and those who contributed in this success,” Al-Sultan said.



As it celebrates its 50 years of leadership and excellence, the KFUPM has been ranked 94th among top 100 universities globally by the Higher Education Supplement of the Times newspaper.



The KFUPM and an Egyptian university were the only two Arab universities on the list with Western universities taking up the majority of positions. Universities in South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brazil and Malaysia also made it on the list.