Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Khalid Toukan, and General Manager of Saraya Aqaba Dr. Khalid Al Wazani, announced the results of Saraya Aqaba's Scholarship Fund, according to which, 10 Aqaba students will have the opportunity to earn their bachelor degree in Hospitality and Hotel Management from universities in UAE and Cyprus.
This was announced during a press conference held on Saturday, September 30th 2006, at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Amman. The press conference was attended by the scholarship steering committee and by a number of press and media representatives.
The ten candidates have been selected among other Aqaba students who have successfully completed their High School certificate (Tawjihi), with an average of 70% and over, during the academic years of 2004/2005 and 2005/2006. The students' skills and potentials were evaluated during interviews conducted by the committee, which consisted of representatives from the ministry: Secretary General, and the Scholarship Director; representatives from Saraya: the Human Resources Manager and the Media Communication & Public Relations Manager of Saraya; in addition to one Aqaba citizen.
The selected students will be transferred to Amman where they will receive English language training courses, and be prepared for the admission exams of the selected universities (The Emirate Academy of Hospitality Management- Dubai, and Cyprus Collage). Studying will begin in the second academic semester (end of January 2007). Saraya Aqaba will cover all university fees, travel and accommodation expenses over the course of the four-year period. Upon graduation, students will be employed in one of Saraya Aqaba’s five star hotels.
Dr. Khalid Toukan showed his great appreciation to the Scholarship Fund, saying: "We highly appreciate the pioneering initiative taken by Saraya Aqaba, and wish that it continues and succeeds in all terms. We urge the private sector to follow in the footsteps of Saraya Aqaba in providing such support to our Jordanian students, whether through such programs or through funding."
While Dr. Khalid Al Wazani said: “Saraya Aqaba promotes a better life to the people of Aqaba by investing in their education and employment, and preserving the local culture and the surrounding environment." He also added: "This fund aims at producing distinguished individuals in the Hospitality and Hotel Management sector in Aqaba, as a small step towards improved tourism services. It is only one of many other initiatives that we at Saraya Aqaba are working on towards achieving sustainable development in Aqaba."
Dr. Mohammed Abu Qudeis, Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced that Saraya has granted the ministry with JD 50,000 to cover 50 scholarships through the Ministry’s Student Fund for Honor students studying at Jordanian universities.
Dr. Mohammad also announced the names of the selected students who were entitled to Saraya Aqaba’s Scholarships: Abdullah Maghrabi (m), Baha’ Ahmad (m), Fatmeh Thneibat (f),Hala Ayoub (f), Jameel Al-Sayegh (m), Mohammad Khateeb (m), Nader Awamreh (m), Sarkees Ferjian (m), Suleiman Goussous (m), and Ahmad Hallaq (m) who spoke on behalf of the students saying “ we are proud to have earned your trust , and we are pleased to be selected among those who qualify for the Scholarship” “we promise you to live up to your expectations and to be worthy of your trust” he added.
Thereafter, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Khalid Toukan, offered Dr. Khaled Al Wazani a shield from the Ministry as praise for the company’s efforts and collaboration in supporting the Jordanian students in their education.
Saraya’s Scholarship Fund in the fields of Hospitality and Hotel Management was announced in November 2005 during the Jordan Economic Forum.
About Saraya:
Saraya is a tourism and real estate development holding company established in 2005 under the chairmanship of Sheikh Saad Rafic Hariri. Saraya's mission embraces contributing to the growth of local economies through delivering profitable projects to investors and local communities.
With further expansion intended in the near future in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and through strategic collaboration with local authorities and investors in public and private partnerships, Saraya announced four projects until now; Saraya Aqaba and Saraya Dead Sea in Jordan, Saraya Islands in Ras Al Khaimah – UAE, and Saraya's project in Muscat – Oman.
Saraya seeks to identify and assess unique undiscovered sites in order to transform them into world-class tourist attractions, achieving its vision of creating “cities within cities.” This vision includes establishing superb hotels, retail facilities, entertainment, leisure and sport facilities, conference centers, as well as luxurious residential units set up on natural beaches or around man-made lagoons. Saraya's projects are built according to the highest international standards that cater to the needs of local residents, as well as tourists and businessmen.
All projects under Saraya's umbrella will be developed in an environmentally-friendly and culturally-conscious manner. To ensure the highest specifications and construction standards, Saraya opted for Saudi Oger Ltd- which has extensive global expertise in the construction of complex and technologically advanced projects- to be the exclusive design and build contractor for all of its projects.
