Over the past decade, Saudi Arabia has been the largest source of donations from Islamic states and royal families to British universities, much of which has been to the study of Islam, the Middle East and Arabic literature. A large share of this money has been used towards establishing Islamic study centres. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal donated £8 million to Cambridge and Edinburgh respectively for this purpose. Over recent years Oxford received Saudi support of £2 million to the Ashmolean Museum and £1 million to the Middle East Centre. There are many other donors. Oxford’s £75 million Islamic Studies Centre was supported by 12 Muslim countries. Sultan Qaboos bin Said, of Oman gave £3.1 million to Cambridge to fund two posts, including a chair of Arabic. The Saïd Business School at Oxford University was set up by a Syrian-Saudi businessman, with a £23 million donation.

Pray: for Universities to be able to tap a variety of lucrative sponsors without abandoning established national syllabus and ethos.

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