Kuwait chosen as Arab Open University's headquarters

Chairman of the Arab Gulf Program for Backing U.N. Development Organizations said Saturday Kuwait was selected as headquarters of the open Arab university as of October next year, reports Kuwaiti news agency KUNA.

Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz told a news conference Kuwait was chosen out of five states upon recommendations of a specialized tripartite ministerial committee. He said Kuwait met all prerequisites placed by the committee, which groups Saudi Arabia, Morocco and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO).

Although Jordan and Lebanon met the committee's conditions, prince Talal said, Kuwait was selected with absolute objectivity. Bahrain and Egypt were also competing to host the open university. Prince Talal said the university would at the beginning receive 6,000 students to increase to 250,000 in the first 10 years. He added annual tuition will amount to 1,200 dollars for a full-time student.

Prince Talal proposed the open university scheme in 1996, as a non-profit seeking educational organization helping to address higher education problem in the Arab states.