BANGKOK — Saudi Universities Alumni Forum in Thailand hailed the pioneering role played by Saudi Arabia and its leadership in serving Islam and humanity.

It stressed that Thailand is one of the first countries to benefit from the scholarship system in Saudi universities with more than 900 graduates, representing a large segment of the various provinces and states of Thailand.

This statement came during the second Forum activities, organized by the Saudi Universities Alumni Association Saturday at the Pattani University in southern Thailand, under the patronage and support of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, represented by the Office of the Islamic Advisor at the Kingdom’s Embassy in Bangkok.

The event saw the participation of more than 200 members of the association and the attendance of the Embassy’s Islamic acting advisor Majid Bin Mohammad Al-Dhayan, President of the association, President of Pattani University Dr. Ismail Lutfi, Secretary-General of the Southern Border States Administration Center Gen. Somkiat Ponprayoon, and several officials from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs.

Al-Dhayan delivered a speech at the opening of the forum in which he praised the Kingdom’s leadership’s support for the scholarship program for students from different countries, including Thailand, which is witnessing a high turnout of students to study in Saudi universities, adding that more than 900 students are currently studying in Thai universities.

He underlined the forum's axes and contributions to deepening cooperation to serve the Thai community and spread values that preserve national cohesion and promote human values that consolidate coexistence, preserve homelands and protect it from extremism.

President of Pattani University too praised the Saudi role in serving the Thai Muslims in general and the tireless pursuit of what contributes to their unity and interdependence, and what ensures their security, stability, and prosperity, noting that the association seeks through this forum to return the favor that Saudi Arabia has provided to the Thai people through the scholarship program.

Dr. Lutfi thanked the Ministry of Islamic Affairs for its continuous support for the forums and events held by the association to consolidate its role in spreading the values of tolerance, peace, and true Islamic teachings in Thai society.

Gen. Ponprayoon thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and the Crown Prince for caring for the Muslims of Thailand and for developing relations between the two friendly countries, stressing that the Kingdom and its historical positions with Thailand are appreciated and respected by the Thai people.

The forum also included speeches and workshops that focused on the role of Saudi university graduates in confronting extremism, spreading moderation, and rejecting fanaticism.

The forum aims to highlight the role and efforts of Saudi Arabia in all fields, including supporting graduates of Saudi universities and the world communities, in addition to gathering graduates of Saudi universities in Thailand, meeting them, inviting them, and encouraging them to sign up in the Saudi Universities Alumni Association in Thailand.

The association also aims through organizing the forum to present its activities to the graduates, answer their inquiries, and interact with their suggestions to activate its future activities in the best possible way to enhance the principle of cooperation between the graduates.

The forum organizes four annual events for the members of the Saudi Universities Alumni Association in Thailand in four central regions to facilitate the attendance of graduates and the participation of the largest number of them. — SPA