ACCORDING to media reports, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal plans to build the world’s tallest building in Jeddah less than two years after the Burj Khalifa was inaugurated in Dubai. The investment firm agrees to $1.2 billion deal to build Kingdom Tower exceeding more than 3,000 feet, which will break the record of the current tallest building.

Reality is that nowadays due to lack of spending on education and research, the Muslim and Arab world is passing through the darkest period of its history. Poverty, hunger, political uncertainty and lack of medical facilities have become part and parcel of lives of the people in the Muslim world. Several African countries are also passing through the worst drought in its history. Owing to lack of better education and research facilities thousands of young talented people are going to western countries in search of better future and jobs. Developed countries are getting benefit from their talent and abilities.

According to Unesco, Asian and Arab countries spend less than 0.1 per cent of their total income on research work which is four times less than African countries which are spending 0.5 per cent of their total income. No university of Muslim countries is included in the world’s top 500 universities.

The fact is that the world’s tallest building in Dubai could not stop economic turmoil in the emirate. Instead of spending huge amount of money on high rise buildings and other luxuries, high spending on education, universities and research centres can provide better opportunity to the young generation and can also bring economic revolution in Islamic countries.

KHAWAJA UMER FAROOQ Jeddah