The Bahrain branch of the Arab Open University (AOU) was officially opened in the presence of the Prime Minister, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa here yesterday.

He was accompanied by university chairman, Prin-ce Talal bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia. "The AOU is a manifestation of the attempts to reinforce solidarity and unity between Arabs through culture and education," said Prince Talal.

"We have plans to open more branches for the university in other countries, and we need support from relevant authorities so that our educational and cultural project may grow and accommodate more students," he noted.

Prince Talal proposed the Open University scheme in 1996 as a non-profit educational organisation helping to address higher education problem in the Arab states.

Its Bahrain-branch director Samir Fakhro said the university aimed to give everyone, no matter what their age, background or location, the chance of a higher education through distance learning programmes.

The courses lead to diplomas and Bachelors degrees in business administration, computer science and information technology, English language and teacher training.