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King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is
greeted by a woman official as he stepped into an internal
railway system to tour the University Campus.
(Photo: SPA) |
Malegaon: King Abdullah
of Saudi Arabia May 15 inaugurated the SR20-billion Princess
Nora bint Abdulrahman University (PNU), 25 kms east of the Saudi
capital, Riyadh amid cheers of over 2,000 students and faculty
members, reports a media report.
With a capacity to enroll about 50,000 students, the
Princess Nora University (PNU), which is part of an ambitious
education plan of the Saudi government, is the largest women-only
university in the world.
"Princess Nora University is a
symbol of women's education and women's participation in the
building of this nation," the leading Saudi daily Arab News
quoted Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf
while giving an overview of the campus, which includes a medical
facility, a research center and a library with about five million
books and journals.
"A residential area at PNU has about 1,400 villas, and massive
hostel facilities to accommodate 12,000 students," said the
minister, adding that a sports city for girls is another major
attraction besides a service tunnel along the university campus.
This education facility has set up major facilities complying with
environmental guidelines, said Al-Assaf.
To this end, he noted that the PNU has a solid-waste treatment
plant, wastewater treatment facility, warehouses and maintenance
workshops.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by several members of the
Saudi royal family, high-ranking Saudi officials, foreign diplomats and
a large number of guests. Prominent among those present on the
occasion was Minister of Higher Education Khalid Al-Anqari.
"The presence of King Abdullah today and his consistent support is
evidence of his keen desire to educate and train women of this
country with an aim to open all avenues for them," said Al-Anqari.
"King Abdullah was greeted by a large number of our female
students and faculty members," said PNU spokeswoman Thana
Algabashi.
PNU President Huda bint Mohammad Al-Ameel said PNU had become a
major symbol of gender equality and women's education in Saudi
Arabia.
She added that the university campus has modern
infrastructure facilities, including a high-tech transport system
that links all important facilities on the campus 24 hours a day.
The highlight of the transport system is an elevated railway that
will facilitate the smooth flow of traffic inside the campus.
Taking advantage of the energy-saving technology, the campus
buildings have been designed in a way that use sunlight as a
source of light. The 40,000 square meters of solar paneling will
provide 16 percent of power for campus heating and 18 percent for
air-conditioning.
The new campus includes a 700-bed university hospital, 15
colleges, a central library, a conference hall, laboratories and
three research centers for nanotechnology, information technology
and bioscience.
Speaking on this occasion, British Ambassador Sir Tom Phillips
said: "Today is an important day and I want to pay tribute to the
wisdom and leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King
Abdullah for opening the new campus of the university, which makes
it the largest women’s university in the world. The creation of
the magnificent campus demonstrates the commitment of the Saudi
government to extend educational opportunity to Saudi society."
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