By IANS,
New Delhi : Promoting youth relations between India and Saudi Arabia, a 45-member delegation of Saudi youth will be visiting India for the first time for a 10-day forum that will engage people from both countries on the Indian experience in technical education.
A delegation of over 45 people from Saudi Arabia will be visiting universities and technology and communication centres in Hyderabad, Bangalore and New Delhi.
The forum, organised by the Saudi ministry of foreign affairs, starts March 22.
“The objective is to promote growing Saudi, Indian relations and benefit from the Indian experience in the field of communication and information technology. The forum hopes to enable the youth to learn from other cultures as well as foster friendly relations between Saudi and the Indian youth,” said Badr Algarni from the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia here.
Saudi Arabia is witnessing a population bonus with a young generation of 3.4 million, over 20 percent of the overall population, says the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
“It is hoped that the activities of the forum will provide an opportunity for Saudi young men and women to interact with their Indian counterparts and outline common ideas and perceptions. The three cities were chosen because of their global contributions in the field of technology,” Algarni added.
Among the institutes listed for visit are the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Narayana Hrudyalaya for telemedicine project in Bangalore, the Google Microsoft office and Dr Reddy’s laboratories in Hyderabad as well as the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) and the Indian Institute of Technology in the national capital.
The Saudi delegation will also be meeting Minister of State for Communications Sachin Pilot.