First Saudi-Pak study center to be set up at Islamabad’s COMSATS university

Dr. Raheel Qamar Rector, COMSATS University Islamabad, and Dr. Ahmed Yousif A. Al-Draiweesh, President International Islamic University Islamabad, ink an agreement to establish the first Saudi-Pak Study Center at CUI in Islamabad on May 13, 2019. (CUI — Twitter)
Updated 16 May 2019
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First Saudi-Pak study center to be set up at Islamabad’s COMSATS university

  • Center aims to strengthen cooperation between the brotherly countries
  • Initiative will help to promote student and teacher exchange programs

ISLAMABAD: President of the International Islamic University (IIU), Dr. Ahmed Yousif Al-Draiweesh, and Rector of the COMSATS University Islamabad, Dr. Raheel Qamar, this week, inked an agreement to establish the first Saudi-Pak Study Center at COMSATS University.
“Initially we will set-up the Saudi-Pak Scientific International Chair and then establish a physical center later,” Dr. Fahim Qurshi, the registrar at COMSATS told Arab News on Thursday.
Qureshi said the aim of setting up the Chair was to strengthen joint scientific and international cooperation to “serve the purpose of achieving security, peace, stability, tranquility and sustainable development in both countries.”




Saudi Arabia and Pakistan aim to establish a joint scientific study center and establish a Scientific International Chair that serves the purpose of achieving security, stability a sustainable development in both countries. An agreement was inked on May 13, 2019.  (CUI - Twitter)


He said that the cooperation agreement would be celebrated after the Holy Month of Ramadan in a ceremony attended by high-ranking government officials from both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
“This initiative will help to promote student and teacher exchange programs,” Qureshi said.
“The memorandum of understanding encompasses various facets of academic, research and scientific cooperation and is geared toward building a joint think tank to advise both governments on policy issues arising in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor,” International Islamic University said in press release on May 13 when the agreement was inked. “Saudi Arabia has aligned itself as a strategic partner of both China and Pakistan for expanding the Belt and Road Initiatives.”
In January this year, Saudi Arabia announced 583 fully funded scholarships for Pakistani students at 23 leading universities in the Kingdom.


Pakistan Super League expands with two new cricket teams sold at record prices

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Pakistan Super League expands with two new cricket teams sold at record prices

  • Hyderabad and Sialkot franchises bought for a combine $12.75 million at PCB auction
  • US-based aviation and healthcare group, local real estate consortium among winning bids

ISLAMABAD: Hyderabad and Sialkot will join the eleventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as its latest franchises after they were bought for record prices at an auction organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday. 

The PCB had shortlisted 10 bidders for the live auction held at Islamabad’s Jinnah Convention Center on Thursday evening. FKS, an aviation and health care conglomerate based in the US who also run the Chicago Kingsmen team, bought the Hyderabad franchise for a whopping Rs1.75 billion [$6.2 million]. 

The other winner was OZ Developers, a real estate consortium, which bought the Sialkot franchise for Rs1.85 billion [$6.55 million] at the auction. Both prices were the highest amount paid for a PSL franchise. 

“The New Era is here like never before,” the PCB wrote on social media platform X. 

“Hyderabad and Sialkot are the two new teams in #HBLPSL!“

Pakistan’s telecommunications giant Jazz and Inverex Group, a leading player in the solar energy sector, were also among the 10 qualified bidders. 

The PSL is Pakistan’s premier T20 cricket league which features a mix of local and international players. The league already has six city-based teams which include Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, Lahore Qalandars, Islamabad United, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators. 

PCB will run the Multan Sultans team for the 11th edition before looking for a potential buyer. The previous owner of Multan Sultans, Ali Tareen, announced last month he was walking away from his ownership of the franchise. 

The decision came after a bitter public spat between Tareen and the PCB over how it managed the cricket league. 

The 11th edition of the league is set to begin from Mar. 26 while the final is expected to be played on May 3, as per the PCB’s schedule.