The Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Ali Al-Mudhaf, temporarily suspended scholarships for dentistry in Arab countries, whether in the scholarship plan or direct dispatch of medical specialties, according to the organizing decisions or joining the missions, on a temporary basis.
The decision, a copy of which was obtained by a local Arabic daily, applies to students enrolled starting from the 2022-2023 academic year, and any text to the contrary is repealed.
The decision was made based on a letter from the Ministry of Health dated February 20, as well as a memorandum from the Assistant Undersecretary for Scholarships, Equivalencies and Cultural Relations in the Ministry of Higher Education, Fatima Al-Sinan, regarding the discussion of the matter at the meeting of the Scholarships Committee and the approval of the Minister who added the memorandum.
According to sources, the numerical density was the reason for the suspension, as the sources explained to the daily that the reason is due to the high number of students on scholarships compared to the required number of dental graduates for the next five years.
The sources stated that the Ministry of Higher Education hopes that this suspension will lead the majority of students to go to study human medicine, as there is still a severe shortage even if all students on scholarships graduate in human medicine today, without taking into account the needs of the coming years.
The sources pointed out that the coordination with the Ministry of Health was clear and accurate in the preparation and needs of the coming years, which contributed to the issuance of this decision.
The sources indicated that the number of students studying dentistry in Arab countries is estimated at thousands, most of them in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
