Dr. Sahel N. Abduljauwad, KFUPM Rector: The National Day is a Unique Historical Memory Representing a Source of our Pride and Glory

The Rector of King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dr. Sahel N. Abduljauwad, pointed that there are days in the life of nations that are a source of pride and glory, and characters who will never be forgotten by their peoples for their achievements that have changed the course of history.

We evoke with pride the achievements and memories of the founder of our country, King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, may God have mercy on him, who reunited this country under the banner of "No God but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." We draw lessons from the life of a great leader who placed our country, in a short period of time, in the ranks of developed countries.

Then the nation was led by his righteous sons, who adhered to his principles and values, and they possessed awareness, wisdom and responsibility, which enabled them to continue the journey of construction, and to achieve all that would help the flourishing of the nation and the welfare of its citizens.

Then we came to this glorious era, the time of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - God preserve him, where our country has made huge progress and achievements in all fields, which resulted in the strengthening of the nation’s security and stability, and pushed its development to new heights while adhering to our high faith and preserving the authenticity of our society and its constants.

Dr. Abduljauwad said “The celebration of the National Day this year is exceptional because we celebrate the many successes and victories that have been achieved, and the Saudi Vision 2030, led by His Highness the Crown Prince and approved by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, represents the beginning of a new stage of development and modernization. Its importance stems from the strong resources in our country, the most important of which is the Arab and Islamic depth, its huge investment capabilities and its geographical and strategic location.

From a political perspective, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has strengthened its position as a major regional power and has continued its good efforts to promote world peace, support humanitarian issues, strengthen the role of international organizations, abide by international treaties, conventions and charters, respect the principle of sovereignty and reject any attempt to interfere in internal affairs.

On serving Islam and Muslims, he said that the Kingdom has continued its efforts in supporting Arab and Islamic solidarity and strengthening brotherly ties between the Arab and Islamic countries, based on its status as representing the conscience of the nation, the cradle of revelation and the cradle of Islam, and the land which brought the eternal message of Islam to this world.

On the security level, he said that security is a cornerstone of any development. Therefore, it has become a feature of this country. If security and stability is mentioned, the name of Saudi Arabia emerges as one of the most secure and stable regions in the world As a result of the methodology adopted that draws its instructions from the Quran and teachings of our Prophet, implementing the principles of justice, moderation, and by building a modern security system has proven again and again to protect our country from the futility of hatred.

On the economic front, this glorious era has succeeded in stabilizing the pillars of a burgeoning economy that has proven its ability to meet the economic and financial challenges and to deal with the changes that took place in many other countries under the difficult economic conditions.

This glorious era provided great material and moral support to educational institutions. Educational institutes had received unprecedented support. This support has succeeded in promoting the quantitative and qualitative upgrading of these institutions by raising its internal and external efficiency, increasing attention to its qualitative quality and expanding the specializations needed for development.

With this support, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) has made significant achievements which have helped it to become a leading academic & research institution and to maintain a distinguished position among the universities of the region and internationally. The University has ensured that its strategic plans follow the Saudi Vision 2030. In this context, KFUPM launched a series of initiatives and programs that enhance its participation to accomplish this vision by enhancing the competencies of its graduates with global skills, leadership in the fields of energy, environment and water, expanding the impact of innovation, entrepreneurship and nonprofit management.

He added that the university has started and is writing a new page in its history when its council approved allowing female students to join the postgraduate programs in specific disciplines such as an Msc and a PhD in mathematics, an Msc in statistics, an Msc and a PhD in computer engineering, an Msc and a PhD in computer science, an Msc in Business Administration and an Msc in Engineering Management, beginning in the academic year 2019-2020.

He said that the university aims to play a distinguished role in preparing women leaders qualified to serve the requirements of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which helps to provide the Saudi educational and research institutions with excellent female faculties and researchers, and to enhance the system of innovation and technology development in the University and the Kingdom.

In conclusion, He prayed to Allah to preserve the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, and to preserve our country's security, stability and prosperity under the wise leadership of our wise government.