His Excellency University Rector signed on Sunday morning, 24 February 2008 (15-2-1429), a service contract with His Excellency Director-General of the British Cultural Council, Jim Scarth.  The signing of the contract was attended by His Excellency Deputy Rector for Branches Affairs and an official delegation including His Excellency Deputy Director-General of the British Cultural Council, Tony Qualdriank, the Regional Director for Sciences Projects, Sarah May, and the Director of the Sciences Projects, Abeer Ilmi.  The Ceremony was also attended by the Dean of the College of Science and the Heads of the Departments of Zoology and of Plants and Microbiology.
The news was announced by Professor Khalid ben Abdullah Alrasheed, Deputy Director of the Center of Excellence for Research on Bio-Diversity.  His Excellency declared that the contract was signed in light of the world-wide recognition of the Council as a research and scientific body of international renown and as first step towards building research partnership and cooperation with it.