RIYADH: Sierra Leone’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, who studied in the Kingdom in the 1980s, says he is keen to see greater cooperation between the two countries in the form of university exchange programs. Speaking in a video provided by the Saudi Ministry of Media, Dr. Ibrahim Jalloh expressed his enthusiasm for greater collaboration and reflected on his time at the Islamic University in Madinah, where he completed a doctorate in Islamic jurisprudence. “I am really looking forward to cooperation between Sierra Leone universities and Saudi universities in exchange programs,” he said. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a well-developed country. The institutions are well-equipped and the libraries boast millions of titles, so in the university environment over there you have more facilities for research.” The ambassador praised the Kingdom’s educational programs, which he said gave exchange students the chance to experience a different way of life while pursuing their academic ambitions. “Exchange programs, we know, are for the exchange of knowledge and skills, and they can benefit students through involvement in diverse cultures and diverse traditions,” he said. “Saudi Arabia is a very wealthy country, with so many universities that can offer so many opportunities for students in Sierra Leone.” More than 300 students from Sierra Leone have studied at the Islamic University in Madinah since it opened in 1961. Before becoming his nation’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia in 2018, he worked for 14 years as the coordinator of the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs’ missionaries, programs and activities in Sierra Leone. He also coordinated annual seminars and workshops organized by the Islamic University for imams and teachers of Arabic and Islamic studies in Sierra Leone. Last year the university named Jalloh among its top 10 most distinguished alumni.