Saudi pus millions in higher education buildings , where saudi Essay

Saudi pus millions in higher education buildings , where saudi education heading - Essay Example By the end of 2003, eight universities served 22 million people. However, in 2003, the government of Saudi Arabia made an active decision on restructuring and expanding the higher education sector. As a result, the national allocation for the same has tripled since 004 reaching $15 million in 2007. Most of the funds allocated to the ministry were used in the construction of new universities and colleges across the country. National leaders, such as King Abdullah, have supported the program from their personal account by donating $10 million for the construction of a Science and Technology University. In endorsing the higher education initiative, the government lifted a long-standing ban on the operation of private institutions. In this regard, free land and funds amounting to $10 million were issued to the private sector in terms of scholarship and construction to facilitate its achievement of a higher status such as Yale and Harvard Universities. In establishing a quality education system, various adjustments were made in the banking sector, political sector, as well as the religious and social sector to promote factors that facilitated the cultivation of a New England in the Middle East. According to Philip G. Altbach, the decision to establish the ministry of education and invest in the same is a decisive step towards academic development. However, the director of the Center for International Higher Education acknowledges that the educational position of the country poses a challenge to the achievement of the set objectives (Altbach cited in Krieger 2007, p. 1). The first challenge facing the country is solving its major problem of technology import. As confirmed by the deputy minister of higher education, Mohammed Al-Ohali, the country has relied on foreign technology for a long time (Bander bin Saud cited in Krieger 2007, p. 2). Specifically, this is due to the overreliance on Social Sciences among the universities in Saudi Arabia. For a long period,