RIYADH: Princess Noura bint Mohammed bin Saud patronized the graduation ceremony of 900 female students at the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) in Riyadh on Tuesday. There were 235 female graduates who received masters degrees, 6 who received diplomas, 504 who received bachelors degrees, and 152 who received higher diploma levels. Established in 1970 as Saudi Arabias first womens college of education, PNU has now become the worlds largest womens university, educating 600,000 students spread across 102 colleges — ranging from universities to intermediate and community colleges — in 72 Saudi cities. Princess Noura delivered a speech at the ceremony, which emphasized the Kingdoms interest in educating and empowering women, helping them to achieve their goals, advancing their leadership roles, and preparing them to be active members of society. This was followed by a speech from the President of the University, Dr. Inas bint Suleiman Al-Eisa, during which she stated that a certificate was not merely a document, but a "key to the future." At the end of the ceremony, the graduates watched a recorded speech made by Saudi Arabias ambassador to Norway, Amal bint Yahya Al-Mouallimi, herself a PNU alumna, who emphasized the pivotal role of Saudi women, and noted the Kingdom was at an important stage in womens history. Womens empowerment, a critical component of larger-scale socioeconomic reform in Saudi Arabia, has been a priority of the Kingdoms Vision 2030, and womens education has received a great deal of attention in Saudi Arabia.