Export Education Success in Saudi Arabia

A new Kiwi export education success will see Open Polytechnic of New Zealand distance learning programmes offered to students in Saudi Arabia.

The agreement initially involves six certificate programmes in management, employment skills, and business administration and computing but the aim is to extend the offerings more widely across the Polytechnic�s portfolio as the arrangement develops over time.

The Open Polytechnic�s chief executive Paul Grimwood said there is increasing growth potential in exporting New Zealand education off-shore to complement the already large on-shore industry.

�Distance learning, in particular, is able to travel anywhere in the world with high quality education products.

�The key for us here is having partners who understand the local environment and the education and training needs of Saudi Arabia and its people.�

The collaborative agreement involves the Open Polytechnic, Saudi-based private education provider Management Training Centre (MTC) and a New Zealand registered company Almualim Ltd.

The Open Polytechnic will deliver its learning materials to enrolled students in Saudi Arabia with the help of MTC who will provide marketing and administrative support.

Saudi students will have access to all of the Polytechnic�s normal distance learning services including learning support, library, online campus and email contact. 

On completing their Open Polytechnic qualifications students will receive guidance on higher study options in New Zealand.

Dr Grimwood acknowledged the work of Almualim�s Dr Sam Al-Rimal Al-Shammari  and MTC director Dr Turki F.Al-Remali in developing the innovative agreement.

�We�re very pleased to be working with Dr Sam and Dr Turki to support Saudi learners.�

 Dr Sam is a New Zealand citizen whose company has brought over 700 Saudi tertiary students to New Zealand during the last three years.

He says he is passionate about Saudi Arabia and contributing to its educational development.

�We have assisted Saudi students coming here and it�s exciting to now be involved in taking New Zealand courses to my homeland.

�I pay tribute to the tremendous commitment to education by King Abdulla bin Abdul-Aziz, King of Saudi Arabia, and his Royal Highness Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz. I acknowledge also his Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Abdul-Aziz the Prince of Riyadh City, who is very supportive and enthusiastic for establishing wide ranging educational programmes in Riyadh.�

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Media Contact: Doug Standring, Open Polytechnic Communications Manager (04) 913 5620 or email [email protected]

Media Note: Based in Lower Hutt, the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand is an award-winning national provider of open and distance learning enrolling 30,000 mainly adult learners annually. The Polytechnic received the Commonwealth�s top award for distance education in 2004 and last year won a US$100,000 global award from the Washington D.C. based Mellon Foundation for its innovative work in e-Learning.