Under the patronage of his royal highness, Prince Sattam Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region, Al Yamamah University held the graduation ceremony for its second group of male students, on Tuesday June 22, 2010.
His Royal Highness was received by the YU board of trustees and its chairman, Mr. Khalid M. Al Khudair, YU President Professor Hussain Al Freihi, and the deans of YU’s colleges.
The ceremony started with a recitation from the Holy Qur'an followed by the faculty procession, the student procession, and some speeches.
Mr. Al Khudair began his speech by expressing his pleasure at the presence of Prince Sattam and by thanking his royal highness on behalf of the board of trustees and the Al Yamamah community for gracing the event. “Acting as a patron for this event indicates His Royal Highness’s care and concern for higher education and signifies the attention provided by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Crown Prince, and the Second Deputy Prime Minister to education in general and to higher education in particular” he said. He also noted his pride in the graduating students and the achievements they have made through their hard work. In concluding, he highlighted the importance of encouraging the young to aspire after distinguished academic achievements and service to the Kingdom.
In his speech, Professor Al Freihi greeted the Prince and the audience and said: “we truly appreciate your gracing this event; it demonstrates your concern for education”. “Although Al Yamamah University is young, it has made great progress in promoting world class higher education in the kingdom” he added. He also pointed out that Al Yamamah has succeeded in entering into partnerships with a number of prestigious universities, to ensure that its academic programs are planned and implemented according to international standards. He emphasized the partnership the university has with business leaders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the commitment of Al Yamamah University to excellence . He then congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to be persistent in their pursuit of success. He concluded his speech with special thanks to Dr. Ahmed Al-Eisa, the former president of YU, for the tremendous efforts he made at the dawn of Al Yamamah.
The graduation speech was delivered by Mohammed AlSheikh who congratulated his fellow graduates and observed: “everyone was supportive and caring, and we are now prepared for success”
Prince Sattam presented the graduates with their diplomas and trophies. He also awarded Dr. Al-Eisa with a plaque honoring his service to the university. Finally, Mr. Al Khudair presented His Highness the Prince with a shield commemorating his patronage of the graduation ceremony.