Under the generous patronage of the President of Al-Riyada University, Professor Dr. Nahla Saleh Al-Kaaki, Al-Riyada University launched today, Sunday, January 31, 2026, the reception and inauguration ceremony of the second cohort of the Internship Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Dentistry, as part of the continued journey of excellence and leadership that began with the launch of the first cohort on February 1, 2025.

The ceremony commenced with a welcoming speech by Professor Dr. Nahla Saleh Al-Kaaki, President of the University, in which she welcomed the students enrolled in the program and all attendees. She highlighted the university’s ongoing commitment and continuous efforts to strengthen its educational system and develop its health programs in alignment with national and international standards. She emphasized her keenness for the second cohort to represent a qualitative extension of the successes achieved by the program in its first year, stressing that the internship program constitutes a strategic step toward enhancing graduates’ competencies and preparing them for the labor market. She also underscored the importance of adhering to the regulations governing attendance and evaluation, and benefiting from the expertise of supervising faculty to ensure the highest levels of excellence and qualification.

In turn, Dr. Salem Aboud Ghanem, Vice President of the University, affirmed the importance of the internship program for dental graduates as a fundamental pillar in the university’s plan to develop medical education and improve the quality of healthcare services. He noted that the launch of the second cohort crowns the success of the first cohort and reflects the continuous efforts exerted by the university to support academic and professional development.

In his speech, Dr. Bashir Al-Rajhi highlighted the academic standing of the program, explaining that the university has established an integrated educational and training structure aimed at enhancing doctors’ professional and research skills and enabling them to handle clinical cases in accordance with safety and quality standards, thereby preparing qualified medical cadres that contribute to community development and the advancement of healthcare services.

Dr. Ahmed Aref then reviewed the noble objectives and goals of the program, emphasizing its pivotal role in raising the efficiency of graduate doctors and preparing them for labor market requirements through advanced training stages. He explained that the program is designed to strengthen clinical knowledge and practical skills in a realistic simulated environment, with a focus on ethical and professional aspects.

Dr. Anas Dhiban discussed the stages of the program and the training and evaluation mechanisms, stressing the importance of adherence to academic and professional regulations to achieve the desired objectives. He addressed the practical and applied components of the program, noting that theoretical lectures and pre-clinical training would commence immediately to enable doctors to transition smoothly to clinical practice. He also confirmed that specialized training courses would be integrated throughout the program to ensure maximum benefit.

For his part, Dr. Rami Anis, Head of the Department of Dentistry, encouraged participants in the program to make the most of this opportunity, emphasizing that they would serve as ambassadors of the university in the field of dentistry. He urged them to contribute positively to the success of the program’s journey.

It is noteworthy that the Internship Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Dentistry represents a qualitative leap in the training of dental practitioners and comes within the framework of the continuous development that Al-Riyada University accords to its educational and training programs, aiming to prepare qualified medical cadres that contribute to community development and the improvement of healthcare services.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Dr. Mohammed Saleh Al-Talibi, Dean of the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, along with a number of faculty members, program supervisors, and members of the program committee, who expressed their satisfaction with the launch of the new cohort and affirmed their full support for the success and continued development of the program.