MUZAFFARABAD – The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has officially inaugurated the King Abdullah Campus of Azad Jammu and Kashmir University (UAJK) in Pakistan.
The King Abdullah campus was funded through a generous $90 million grant provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through SFD.
The project was inaugurated by SFD’s Director General of Asia Operations, Dr. Saud bin Ayed Al-Shammari, in the presence of the President of the State of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry.
The Chairman of the Higher Education Commission, Professor Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Professor Dr. Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi, alongside other officials from both sides also attended the ceremony.
#SFD delegation headed by Director General of Asia Operations, Dr. Saud Al-Shammari, officially inaugurated today the King Abdullah Campus of the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, in the presence of the President of the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, H.E. Sultan Mehmood… pic.twitter.com/jvhM6B7Aou
— الصندوق السعودي للتنمية (@SaudiFund_Dev) August 4, 2023
“The King Abdullah Campus is a cutting-edge facility that hosts 15 academic departments, as well as administration blocks, accommodation, a library, a mosque, a state-of-the-art auditorium, and other essential amenities. Over 10,000 students, faculty members, and employees are expected to benefit from the new campus, which will offer cutting-edge research and educational opportunities, while helping to support the sustainable socio-economic development of Pakistan. The new campus will also contribute towards helping to realize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG4, Quality Education, SDG5, Gender Equality, SDG8 Decent work and Economic growth, and SDG11, Sustainable Cities and Local Communities,” SFD said in a press release.
Speaking on the occasion, AJK president Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry said: “Amidst the echoes of history, the benevolence of a great nation remains etched in the hearts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. As the President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Chancellor of the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, I humbly acknowledge the pivotal role played by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, led by the visionary King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, in the wake of the calamitous earthquake of 2005”.
On his part, the SFD director general said: “SFD’s contributions towards the reconstruction of the King Abdullah Campus, following the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, came from the Fund’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s sustainable development through the development of social infrastructure. This project is a result of the close developmental relations, and successful longstanding partnership, which has existed between SFD and Pakistan for more than 47 years.“
The inauguration of the King Abdullah Campus is a major milestone in the development of the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. It is a symbol of the strong friendship between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and a testament to the commitment of the SFD to supporting development projects in Pakistan and other developing countries around the world, the agency said in the press release.
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