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Established: May 1978
Location: 2101 Thurston Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Cultural Attache:Dr. Saeed K. AlSobeay
Size: Over 200 staff members, including Saudi Arabian diplomats and locally-engaged personnel
Authority: Official representative of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education (MOE) in Canada
Saudi scholarship students in Canada: 16,000 (2014)
Saudi medical trainees in Canada: 1,000 (2014)
Scholarships: the two main scholarship programs are the Saudi Postgraduate Medical Program, launched 1978, and the KASP Scholarship Program, launched in 2005. SACB also administers scholarships on behalf of other Saudi Arabian sponsors, which range from universities to military, and private companies to hospitals.
Levels of education funded: English as a Second Language, Undergraduate Degrees, Master's Degrees, Doctoral Studies, Medical Fellowships
Scholarship coverage: All scholarship students in good standing receive full coverage of tuition, a monthly stipend for living costs (increased if accompanied by dependents), medical insurance, expenses for field trips, reimbursements for attending conferences/symposia/workshops, annual airfare to Saudi Arabia, and merit awards for academic achievement.
Bench Fees: Graduate-level scholarship students are eligible to receive bench fees, in the amounts of $5,000 for Master's and $10,000 for PhD studies, to help cover the costs of consumable materials used in scientific research.
Events: SACB assists the Royal Embassy in the planning of the annual Saudi National Day celebration held in Ottawa on September 23rd. SACB additionally assists the Saudi Ministry of Education in the coordination of the International Exhibition and Conference on Higher Education, which is held annually in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
King: On January 23, 2015, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became the King of Saudi Arabia, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and the Head of the House of Saud
Geography: The largest country in the Middle East, extending to approx. 2,250,000 square kilometers between the Arabian Gulf on the east and the Red Sea on the west; shares borders with Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen and Oman
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Population: 24,573,000
Capital: Riyadh; Population : 5,126,000
Climate: Desert and semidesert characterize more than 95% of the country, but its Red Sea coastline has greener areas with mountains and forests in its south-western corner
Religion: Islam is the foundation of Saudi Arabian culture. Each year, millions of pilgrims visit the holy cities of Makkah and Medinah as part of their religious observance
Modern Saudi Arabia: King Abdulaziz Al Saud, who by 1932 had succeeded in unifying the country into a Kingdom, founded modern Saudi Arabia
Economy: Oil was first discovered in Saudi Arabia in 1936; today, the Kingdom has at least 25% of the world's oil reserves
Saudi National Day: The Saudi National Day is 23rd September and celebrates the founding of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Flag: Green banner of Islam bears the inscription: "There is no God but God; and Muhammad is His Messenger"
Coat of Arms: While the two crossed Arabian swords stand for strength and sacrifice rooted in faith, the date palm tree is a symbol of vitality, growth and prosperity
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Higher Education: 25 public and 9 private universities; 31 private colleges
Currency: The Saudi Riyal
Measurements and Units: Length: Meters; Weight: Kilos; Volume: Litres; Area: Square meters
Calendar: Islamic Hijrah calendar is used; each year has 12 lunar months and consists of 354 days
Working Hours: Government Office hours are 7:30 AM until 2:30 PM. Private sector establishments remain open until 4:30 PM. Weekends consist of Friday and Saturday. During Ramadan, work hours are 10 AM to 3:30 PM and 21:00 to 24:00. Shops close for prayer three times daily for half an hour.
Public Holidays: Three recoginzed public holidays, including the 1st of Shawwal (Eid ul-Fitr) - the Feast of the End of Ramadan; the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah (Eid ul-Adha) - the Feast of the End of Hajj; and, the 23rd of September which is the National Day
Judicial Structure: The Courts/Judiciary bases decisions/rulings on what is stated in the Holy Qur’an and on the Sunnah (teachings/practices/mode of life) of the Prophet Muhammad.
For more informatiom about Saudi Arabia, please visit the website of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Canada.
