Sana'a, May 20, 2008 (YemenOnline) - The French oil company Total has announced a new scholarship program that will enable Yemenis to study abroad.

General Manager of the company in Yemen Martin Deffontaines said that the scholarships would be granted to Yemeni nationals across the country.

Deffontaines added that the program includes five undergraduate scholarships for Yemeni youth, three intensive diplomas for junior engineers from the Ministry of Oil and Minerals, and two Master's level scholarships for students from the Institute of Diplomacy.

Such program comes to strengthen ties between the company and Yemen, he said.

Last March, the French company celebrated production of 100 million barrels during its 20 years of work in Yemen.

Total is one of the biggest investors in Yemen and runs programs to facilitate access to clean water, electricity, healthcare, and education in the Shabwa and Hadramout governorates where the company runs extensive operations.

Source: Sabanews