The MIT Club of Saudi Arabia held its 12th Annual Dinner Meeting in Riyadh on Sunday, March 20th, 2011.
The guest of honor and keynote speaker was His Excellency Dr. Khalid Al-Anqari, Minister of Higher Education.
The event was very well attended with over 120 guests, including a large contingent of MIT alums, company CEOs, government officials, and the press. The event also generated considerable positive media coverage.
Dr. Al-Anqari spoke about the higher education system in Saudi Arabia and the 20-year holistic plan to reform and upgrade it. This is a multi-faceted plan that includes expansion, focus on quality faculty, accreditation, enhanced research, increased funding, and many other factors. βThe first five years of the plan have been completed with excellent successes,β he mentioned.
The MIT Club of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1998 and currently has over [80] members. It has been holding its Annual Dinner Meeting for the past twelve years, with speakers that include ministers, CEOs of companies, university rectors, and prestigious MIT faculty and officials.