SAUDI ARABIA'S MINISTER OF HAJJ AND UMRAH MET WITH KAZNU TEACHERS

The Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tawfiq Bin Fawzan Bin Muhammad Al-Rabia, met with the university's faculty during his visit to the al-Farabi Kazakh National University.

Yerkin Duissenov, Deputy Chairman of the Board and First Vice–Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, introduced the guest of honor to the participants of the event. He noted the achievements of the Minister, Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tawfiq Bin Fawzan Bin Muhammad Ar-Rabia, who went a long way from a Master of Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania in the USA to the Minister of Commerce and Industry of the KSA (2011-2016), the Minister of Health of the KSA (2016-2021) and the Minister of Hajj and Umrah Saudi Arabia. "We are pleased to welcome such an honored guest to the university. We are confident that the meeting will be useful and informative," the First Vice–rector emphasized, giving the floor to the Minister of Hajj and Umrah of KSA.

In his speech, Mr. Tawfiq Bin Fawzan Bin Muhammad Ar-Rabia said that he was glad to visit one of the most famous universities in Central Asia, which bears the name of the famous thinker of the East Abu Nasr Al-Farabi. "Today, the KSA is expanding cooperation with the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of education and science. 115 educational grants have been allocated for students from your country to study at KSA universities", the minister noted. – I am surprised at how well Arabic studies is developed at your university.  The students speak Arabic well, which means that the teachers teach them well. We will continue to support the Center for Arabic Studies at KazNU and establish contacts with similar centers in the KSA. I know that KazNU has signed an agreement with the King Salman Global Academy of Arabic. Active cooperation is underway. I hope that the circle of your partners in the KSA will expand."

Next, the participants asked the minister the answers and received complete, meaningful answers. In particular, the teachers were interested in the development of umrah services in the context of digital transformation, which online platforms have influenced the improvement of the experience of pilgrims and visitors, whether the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the KSA is ready to support initiatives for the exchange of Islamic scholars studying between universities in Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan, whether scholarship programs and support for Kazakhstani students studying. One of the participants thanked the Minister for the big digital changes in the field of services for pilgrims, especially noting that the Nusk application  greatly simplifies the life of pilgrims.

The Minister assured that the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia actively supports educational initiatives and is ready to provide comprehensive support to talented students from Kazakhstan.

Press-service of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University