Saudi Arabian Cultural MissionWashington, D.C

www.sacm.org

About Sacm:The Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (SACM) to the United States is a specialized agency that was created by the Saudi government in 1951 to administer programs and policies that help meet the educational and cultural needs of Saudi citizens studying in the U.S. educational institutions and their counterparts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with regard to issues pertaining to culture, education and science.

SACM is part of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C. However, in terms of administration, finance, and student affairs, the Mission reports directly to the ministry of Higher Education in Saudi Arabia (MOHE) .

Mission/Vision:SACM implements Saudi training policies to provide our country with qualified individuals capable of achieving the country’s goals for progress and development. We strive to provide our students with the best possible educational opportunities at the best educational institutions in the United States of America. We support our students academically and financially so that they may fully concentrate on achieving their academic goals. We also collect and disseminate information that reflects Saudi culture, tradition, and heritage through our active participation in academic, cultural and social activities.

www.sacm.org

Scholarship Program:Pre-departure services:

Scholarship and private students should prepare themselves by studying the English language before they leave Saudi Arabia to embark on a life changing experience of studying abroad.

Find the online orientation for the steps that you should take before coming into the U.S.A by visiting SACM website www.sacm.org (under student information).

Arrival Services:SACM provides new students with the following services:

• An open student fi le to include personal and academic information about the individual student

• Assign an Academic Advisor to the students to help the student cope with the new environment by providing all the academic, administrative, and financial help that the student may need

• Travel tickets reimbursement

• Health Insurance

• Monthly Stipend

(For more information about arrival serviced visit SACM website: www.sacm.org – under student information)

SACM implements Saudi national educational and training policies to provide our country with qualified individuals capable of achieving the country’s goals for progress and development. We strive to provide our students with the best possible educational opportunities at the best educational institutions in the United States of America.

KING ABDULLAHSCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

www.sacm.org

We support our students academically and financially so they may fully concentrate on achieving their academic goals. We also collect and disseminate information that reflects Saudi culture, tradition and heritage through our active participation in academic, cultural and social activities.

Sacm Departments:1. Cultural Attaché OfficeUniversity Relations and Directory

Public Relations and Media

Security

2. Academic Affairs Department:Northeast region: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rohde Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania.

Southeast region: Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida.

East Midwest region: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana

West Midwest region: Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas.

South Region: Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma.

East West Region: Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada.

West Region: Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska.

Saudi Universities & Governmental Agencies DepartmentMedical UnitSelf- Sponsored Students DepartmentAdmission Department

www.sacm.org

3. ESL Institutes & Academic Placement Department

Created in 2011, the SACM ESL & A P D was founded to ensure &maintain existing and new relationships with ESL Programs & Universities that are accredited, offer an intensive curriculum & provide a learning opportunity for our Saudi Arabian scholarship recipient scholars.

Since the inception of this cultural program the SACM vision has gradually developed to embrace newer concepts, policies & procedures all enhanced to ensure our SA scholars experience both quality education coupled with a culturally rich experience allowing them to grow, blossom & accomplish their set academic goals.

This department provides the following services:

• Evaluates & approves ESL Programs

• Places ESL candidates in SACM partnering ESL Programs based on their sought Degrees & Majors

4. Administrative Affairs DepartmentThis department provides the following services for both students and employees:

• Travel tickets reimbursement

• Updating and extending student passports

• Translation of original birth-certificates for students’ children

• Maintaining employee files, issuing contracts for new employees, and registration of vacation and sick-leave for existing employees

• Tracking on incoming and outgoing mail

www.sacm.org

5. Cultural and Social Affairs Department:

The Cultural and Social Affairs Department is responsible

for the following tasks:

Promoting positive cultural communication and

enhancing cultural exchange between the Kingdom

of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America by

supporting and promoting Saudi publications, exhibits,

and participating in related conferences.

Directing student cultural outreach initiatives through

the establishment of Saudi student clubs at American

Universities.

Providing authentication services for students’ children

studying in the American schools for grades between

kindergarten and twelfth grade.

Providing social and legal aid for scholarship students,

including orientation for new students

Publishing an online magazine “Al Mubtaath”

www.almubtaath.us

www.sacm.org

6. Finance Department:

This Department is responsible for all accounts and expenditures made by SACM. It is divided into the following sections:

• Student allowances

• Student tuition fees

• Budget and bank relations

The department also provides the following services:

• Preparation of the annual budget and monthly vouchers

• Maintaining and enhancing bank relations

• Closing and opening student files

• Auditing, processing, and paying medical and tuition bills

• Auditing, processing, and paying employees and student salaries

• Issuing checks and signing contracts with different institutions and companies in compliance with the MOHE orders and agreements

www.sacm.org

Information Technology (IT) Center:

This department is divided into the following sections:

1. Network infrastructure

2. Network security

The department also provides the following services:

Development of application for SACM

Support SACM current applications: student’s SACM,

finance, medical, ticketing, archives, and human

resources

Maintaining database

Developing and maintaining the IT infrastructure including

servers, fiber optics wiring, switches, terminals units and

firewalls

Providing SACM emails services

Developing and maintaining the SACM website

SACM mass e-mail services

www.sacm.org

8. E-Services Department:

E-Government was established to connect students

with MOHE and all Cultural Missions around the world.

There are over 130 thousand students using the system

that is operating with the most advanced and efficient

technologies.

E-government department help students with:

Processing their requests through a comprehensive system

that connects Sacm and MOHE

Expediting the administrative process for student’s needs

Facilitating administrative requests between students,

Sacm and MOHE in a simple and transparent matter

Eliminating administrative inefficiency and making it

easier for students to process their requests electronically

without being present at Sacm

Assisting students and staff at Sacm daily and on regular

bases on technical issues regarding the system.

www.sacm.org

9. Other Departments: Adminstrative Support Services Department: Responsible for the administrative support of SACM. It is divided into:

Files and Registration

Authentication and Documentation

SACM Emergency Team:

SACM provides emergency support to all Saudi students enrolled in colleges and universities inside the United States of America. Students in need of emergency assistance are able to get help 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by contacting one of three specific SACM leads whose contact information can be found on the website at: http://www.sacm.org/Emergency.aspx

Students can visit the link for updates emergency numbers they can call or even leave an SMS (text message). Depending on the location of the students, they can choose what state they are in and number of Saudi Arabian Consulates close to where they are, will appear with phone numbers and contact information.

For non-emergency issues, students can e-mail

help@sacm.org

In case of emergency please contact one of the following numbers 24 hours a day or leave SMS.

Please note these numbers are for emergency cases only.

571-379-6258 • 571-379-6082571-379-6080 • 571-379-6465 • 571-379-6288

www.sacm.org

10. Useful links:The official website for the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission is www.sacm.org The website includes:

Information useful to students before traveling o the United States.

An introduction to the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission and its services to students.

The higher education system in the United States Laws and Immigration regulations of legally residing students in the U.S

The official website of the Saudi Student Clubs is www.sacmclubs.org. This webpage includes information about each Saudi Student Club in most universities across the U.S

Open Student Forum:

www.sacmclubs.org/vb/forum.php

SACM’s facebook Page: www.facebook.com/sacm.usa

SACM’s Youtube Page: www.youtube.com/sacm.usa

In order for the student to know more information about the state that they will be staying in, in terms of traffic laws, tourist sites, DMV regulations, banks, schools, etc… the student may visit the website for the state: www. (insert state abbreviation here).gov

For example: www.ny.gov

8500 Hilltop RoadFairfax, Virginia 22031

www.sacm.org