Victoria's global alumni connect over coffee in Riyadh

Published: 5 March 2026
Photograph of a formal gathering or meeting with attendees seated and listening attentively. The setting includes men and women dressed in business and traditional attire, arranged in rows with a speaker or presenter standing on the right side.

During a high-level Victorian delegation visit to the Gulf region supported by our Education Services Manager Middle East Turkiye and Africa Gonzalo Perez, the Hon. Danny Pearson MP, Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs, met with more than 20 Saudi alumni of Victoria’s world-class universities in Riyadh.

Connecting over a perfectly brewed coffee, in a fireside chat that took place in a Melbourne-inspired coffee house, FOR, founded by alumnus Dr Abdulaziz Aldakkhelallah, Minister Pearson highlighted the great value of welcoming international students to study at our esteemed institutions and the significant impact they bring to our campuses and communities more broadly. He noted that they are talent and brand ambassadors that go on to shape the relationship between our regions through people, friendships, business and ideas.

Middle Eastern alumni make significant contributions to both jurisdictions, to Victoria’s economy, to our communities, and to the enduring friendship between the Middle East and Australia.

In 2024, there were approximately 330,000 international enrolments in Victoria from around 180 countries. More than 1,800 of these enrolments were students from Saudi Arabia. In 2025 (as of October), the number of students from Saudi Arabia had risen to over 2,050. Victoria is proud to host 45% of the students from Saudi Arabia studying in Australia, the largest proportion across the nation.

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