Recognizing the importance of education, Khaled Shaheen, chairman and co-founder of the Shaheen Business and Investment Group (SBIG), has established a fund to support five outstanding Palestinian students at AUC.

In addition to covering the full cost of their undergraduate tuition, the Khaled Shaheen Palestinian Scholarship Fund will also include expenses for student housing, books and medical supplies. Shaheen pledged $1,250,000 in support of the fund.

“In our modern age, a solid education is the strongest predictor of success and development,” said Shaheen. “In light of the current circumstances, Palestinians need a core of well-educated young men and women who can re-build their country and work for its advancement. Through this scholarship, I hope to provide an opportunity for some of the brightest minds to take full advantage of an AUC education.”

Among the first students studying at AUC under the Palestinian Scholarship Fund is Nadel Ali, who is now an electronics engineering senior. “I am appreciative of this magnificent opportunity,” he said. “Attending one of the best universities in the Arab world has given me the initiative to pursue my goal and earn a university degree that will open new doors for me when I graduate.”

In addition to the scholarship, Shaheen has pledged $1 million in support of AUC’s new campus project.

SBIG is headquartered in Jordan and spans several Middle Eastern countries . Working in a multitude of industrial and trading investments, the organization is also heavily involved in a number of charity and philanthropic activities in the region.

In Jordan alone, the Shaheen Foundation for Science and Culture has awarded 75 undergraduate scholarships to Jordanian students who have demonstrated academic excellence coupled with financial need. With 75 new students being awarded the scholarship annually, the number of recipients is expected to reach 300 in a span of four years.