RIYADH: The Ministry of Culture is sending 211 students on scholarships to international higher education institutions, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The Cultural Scholarship Program, supervised by the ministry, intends to prepare Saudis to meet the labor market’s need for qualified and talented nationals specializing in the arts and culture sectors. It is the first program of its kind in the Kingdom and covers tuition fees and all study costs of the participating students. This latest group of students — comprising 133 women and 78 men — is the seventh since the program first launched in December 2019. Among the students, 123 are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs, 83 in master’s degree programs and the remaining five in Ph.D. programs. The students’ specializations cover food and science technology, theater, music, heritage and archeology, fashion design, libraries and museums, filmmaking, visual arts, literature and linguistics, architecture, culinary arts and design. HIGH LIGHT This latest group of students — comprising 133 women and 78 men — is the seventh since the program first launched in December 2019. Among the students, 123 are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs, 83 in master’s degree programs and the remaining five in Ph.D. programs. They will attend institutes and universities including Culinary Arts Academy, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Culinary Institute of America, University of the Arts London, Pratt Institute, Manchester School of Architecture, Virginia Commonwealth University, Australian National University, Indiana University Bloomington, University of Edinburgh and Durham University. The majority of the students will continue their educational journey in the US, which will host 115 students, followed by the UK (56 students), Switzerland (20 students) and Australia (10 students). Egypt and France will each host two students, while the three remaining students will be divided between Italy, Singapore and South Korea. Since its launch, the scholarship program has benefitted 683 students: 443 women and 240 men. Students studying for their bachelor’s degree composed the highest share of the program with 384 students, followed by those studying for a master’s degree (291 students) and a Ph.D. (eight students). The Cultural Scholarship Program is distinguished by its comprehensiveness and specializations diversity in cultural and artistic fields. The selected students will benefit from financial coverage for tuition fees, living expenses for both themselves and their companions, health care, travel tickets, as well as follow-up and evaluation guidance programs.