Abdullah Sayel
Saudis rank number 51 on the list of people who want to be permanent residents in Canada. Pakistan ranks close to us. Americans rank third, close to Albanians and Algerians. Canada is competing with Scandinavian countries in attracting immigrants and is trying to offer better healthcare services, education, care for the elderly and the disabled,transportation services, etc.
In 2006, the number of Saudi doctors being training in Canada reached 1,500. In 2007, around 12,000 Saudi students arrived in Canada thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Scholarship Program. The Canadian media focused on the arrival of this large number of Saudi students.
In 2010, the media focus grew because the number was increasing. The president of New Brunswick University said during an interview with a Canadian daily that the number of Saudi students was almost equal to the number of Chinese students in Canada. Most faculty members in prestigious Canadian universities were happy with this influx of Saudi students. It meant a stable income for professors and sustainable sources of income for development and research. However, we have to admit that Saudi students do not have a big impact on the Canadian economy because Canada has one of the most robust economies in the world.
The Canadian government recently made immigration requirements more difficult although it is in desperate need to attract more people to populate that vast country. Canada is located in an area of 10 million square meters with a population of around 35 million.
