KSA to set up 3 new universities

April 3, 2014

Jeddah, Apr 3: Giving another boost to the Kingdom’s higher education, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has ordered the establishment of three new universities in Jeddah, Bisha and Hafr Al-Baten. It brings the total number of public universities in the Kingdom to 28.

Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-Anqari said King Abdulaziz University’s branches in north Jeddah as well as the colleges in Khulais and Kamil would be brought together under the new Jeddah University, which will have a total of 18 colleges and institutes.

Makkah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah thanked the Saudi leadership for approving the new universities. “This will help Saudi students to obtain higher education without any difficulty.”

He said the independent Jeddah University would spread knowledge in the region.

The Bisha University will be formed bringing together King Khaled University’s (KKU) branch in Bisha and other colleges in neighboring principalities such as Namas, Balqarn, Sabt Al-Ulya and Tathlith, the minister said, adding that it would have a total of 13 colleges.

The Hafr Al-Baten University will be established by transforming the branches of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and Dammam University in Hafr Al-Baten and nearby principalities such as Naeeriya and Al-Khafji. It will have 12 colleges.

Saudi students and teachers welcomed the royal decision.

Abdelelah Saaty, dean of the College of Business in Rabigh, praised King Abdullah for leading Saudi Arabia’s educational renaissance.

“Since he ascended the throne in 2005, the number of government universities has risen from seven to 28. This is a big achievement,” he said.

He said Saudi Arabia required at least 10 more universities within the next five years to meet the requirements of its growing population.

“King Abdulaziz University was designed to accommodate 50,000 students. The number of its students have tripled,” Saaty said. The new Jeddah University will reduce the pressure on King Abdulaziz University, which has more than 140,000 students on its rolls.

Saaty emphasized that the government should continue sending its citizens abroad for higher education to learn from the best practices of reputable universities across the world.

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Syrian Town erupts after Israeli forces enter Beit Jinn; heavy casualties reported

News Network

November 28,2025

Several Syrians were killed and more than two dozen others injured in Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Damascus, amid intensified incursions by the occupying regime since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.

Syrian state TV reported that the casualties occurred during an overnight Israeli assault involving helicopters and drones on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. The attack followed an Israeli military unit’s entry into the town, where they were surrounded by local residents, leading to gunfire and direct confrontations.

According to the report, “The occupation army’s helicopters and artillery shelled Beit Jinn, located at the foothills of Mount Hermon, resulting in 13 martyrs and 25 injured civilians.” The broadcaster did not specify the full extent of damage.

Al-Ikhbariyah Syria confirmed that the shelling coincided with Israeli soldiers entering Beit Jinn, while artillery pounded surrounding areas. The broadcaster stated that the escalation began after local residents clashed with an Israeli patrol that had infiltrated the southern town and “kidnapped” three young men.

Following a two-hour exchange of heavy fire, Israeli forces withdrew and repositioned on the hill of Butt al-Warda at the town’s outskirts.

Israeli media acknowledged that six soldiers were wounded in the clashes—three of them seriously—describing the confrontation as a “sudden ambush” that forced the deployment of reserve units and air support to secure an exit route. No further details were provided.

The aggression has fueled renewed displacement from Beit Jinn, with residents fleeing to nearby villages amid increasingly frequent Israeli attacks.

The raid came just a day after Israeli troops carried out another ground incursion into Umm al-Luqas village in Quneitra province. According to SANA, an Israeli unit in four vehicles entered the village, raided several homes, and later withdrew.

Syria condemned the repeated incursions as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and UN resolutions, urging the international community to enforce compliance and pressure Israel to halt its operations and withdraw fully.

Israel has expanded its attacks across Syrian territory following the collapse of the Assad government last year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly instructed his forces to push deeper into Syrian territory and seize strategic positions.

Meanwhile, critics say the HTS-led interim government’s inaction and growing normalization gestures toward Israel have emboldened Tel Aviv to intensify its military operations. HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, seized control of Damascus last December, formally ending Assad’s rule.

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