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Several weeks ago, a significant diplomatic meeting took place when His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, met with a delegation of high-ranking government officials from the People's Republic of China. A notable outcome of this meeting was a mutual commitment to intensify economic and social collaboration between the two nations.

In support of these cooperative efforts, His Royal Highness committed to the introduction of Chinese language instruction in primary schools, secondary schools, and universities throughout the Kingdom. To facilitate this, the People's Republic of China pledged to aid Chinese language learning initiatives through its Ministry of Education.

The Confucius Institute, a globally recognized initiative led by the Chinese Ministry of Education, aims to promote Chinese language learning and cultural exchange worldwide. The Institute sends trained Chinese language teachers, most of them graduates trained as instructors for non-native speakers, to schools and universities globally. The cost of the program is shared between the Chinese government and the international host. As part of this initiative, numerous schools across the Kingdom will host these Chinese language educators.

King Khalid University has already initiated significant steps to incorporate this new program. The Faculty of Languages & Translation, under the leadership of Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi, is spearheading the effort at the university.

On April 26, 2019, a Chinese delegation arrived in Riyadh to meet with several esteemed Saudi universities, including King Saud University, King Abdulaziz University, Tabuk University, Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University, Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, and King Khalid University. Dean Al-Melhi met with the Chinese delegates, including Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) Deputy Director-General, Yu Yunfeng, and Beijing Language and Culture University Vice President, Zhang Baojun. The meeting's purpose was to initiate planning for programs at the respective universities.

The delegates shared their optimism for the venture. Deputy Director-General Yunfeng expressed, "I am delighted to be a part of this new venture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It's inspiring that our two nations have joined in cooperation for our mutual benefit." Vice President Baojun echoed this sentiment, "We anticipate a long and prosperous relationship between our two countries. We all have much to teach and learn from one another."

Substantial progress was made in establishing preliminary logistics requirements and resource allocation for the initiatives, particularly at King Khalid University. Dean Al-Melhi emphasized the scale and ambition of the Chinese language initiative: "This project is not just a basic 'meet & greet'. It's an ambitious venture with an aggressive schedule. This large undertaking demands a high level of cooperation and hard work among all stakeholders. We are creating an entirely new department under the Faculty of Languages & Translation. While focused and on point, we are confident of our ultimate success."

The Faculty of Languages & Translation remains committed to the Chinese language initiative, recognizing its importance in improving the university's existing language programs. King Khalid University shares this dedication, aiming to further regional, national, and international goals while promoting good citizenship and social cohesion, in alignment with Vision 2030.