In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Number: 5/3/23/2292
Dated: 11 Dhul‑Hijjah 1374 A.H.
From Saud bin Abdulaziz
To our esteemed brother Faisal, may God preserve him,
Peace be upon you.
I am sending you herewith the letter submitted to us by our son Fahd, No. 3385 dated 4/12/1374 A.H., concerning students on government scholarships studying abroad. The letter includes the following points:
1.
The competent authority must be instructed to make the necessary arrangements to bring students back from abroad before the start of the new academic year.
2.
Our son Fahd proposed three recommendations in his letter:
A.
“Regarding the children of government employees abroad, financial support should continue as before.”
We approve this recommendation on the condition that their studies be in Islamic or non‑missionary schools.
If any student violates this condition and enrolls in a non‑Islamic or missionary school, his allowance shall be cut, and one year’s salary shall be deducted from the employee responsible for this violation.
B.
He also proposed that “those residing with their families who have settled outside the Kingdom should have their allowances stopped, and if they wish their children to study at government expense, they must bring them back to the Kingdom.”
We approve this recommendation as well.
Thus, allowances must be stopped, and their families must be informed that their children must not be enrolled in missionary schools.
If anyone violates this, his Saudi nationality shall be withdrawn.
If they wish their children to study at government expense, they must send them to the Kingdom.
C.
As for the third proposal, that “students who are about to begin university studies—fifteen in Egypt and twelve in Syria and Lebanon—should remain abroad,”
we do not approve this proposal under any circumstances.
No exceptions are allowed.
Royal Decree No. 5/3/32/1488 dated 30/8/1374 A.H. must be applied literally and fully, and the Ministry of Education is responsible for enforcing it.
3.
These instructions, along with the relevant lists, must be sent to our foreign missions concerned with these students so they may comply and act accordingly.
4.
The Ministry of Education must send its representatives to the countries where the students are located to organize their return, and our foreign missions must provide all necessary assistance to facilitate their work.
You shall, God willing, issue your directives to the competent authorities to enforce our previous decree and this order.
May God grant success.
Peace.