His Excellency Dr Saad bin Saud Al Fuhaid, President of the Arabian Gulf University, participated in the 93rd meeting convened by the Executive Council of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States (ABEGS) at the bureau’s headquarters in Riyadh. The meeting was attended by the Director General of ABEGS, Undersecretaries from the Ministries of Education of member states, directors of affiliated centres and a representative from the General Secretariat of the GCC.

During the meeting, a comprehensive report was presented by the Director General regarding the implementation of the bureau’s programmes and the progress of work for the current financial cycle 2023/2024. Members were also briefed on the proposed programmes for the upcoming financial cycle 2025/2026.

The gathering commended the wide array of quality programmes and activities on offer, highlighting the high standards of achievement and the objectives accomplished. The presentations included various studies that focused on the needs of the educational sector, recent educational developments and the experiences of member states. All participants reiterated the importance of the bureau’s role in fostering cooperation, coordination and integration among the Ministries of Education across member countries.

Furthermore, ABEGS Director General, along with members of the Executive Council and Undersecretaries from the Ministries of Education, launched the Gulf Educational Digital Library. This pioneering initiative coincides with the International Day for Universal Access to Information in the field of educational data, aiming to organise the electronic information resources produced by the bureau for the benefit of all stakeholders. The library provides a unified access platform for Ministries of Education, schools and staff, including teachers and researchers.

Designed as a primary source for the information resources generated by the bureau and its affiliated centres, the library enables researchers to access the complete texts of all outputs from ABEGS and its specialised centres. The transition of the library’s content into digital format ensures the preservation of these materials and facilitates easy access, thus enriching Arabic electronic content on the internet and integrating the digital library with Gulf educational information platforms.

The meeting concluded with expressions of gratitude to ABEGS for hosting the gathering, as well as commendations for the exemplary preparation and warm hospitality extended to all attendees.