Saudi students attend pottery workshops. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Apart from Mandarin, Fahad even speaks some Sichuan dialect. "Months ago, when I first visited Chengdu (the capital city of Sichuan province), I felt so comfortable and connected to the city, as people there treated me so sincerely and were so willing to offer help," he recalled. So far, he has traveled to 14 Chinese cities and has made friends across the country.

Having once studied medicine at university, Fahad is now working on his master's degree in artificial intelligence at Harbin Institute of Technology in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province. Surrounded by many hardworking Chinese classmates, Fahad feels motivated. "They study for more than 10 hours every day. They put their hearts into their schoolwork and always finish tasks in advance. I appreciate the diligence and perseverance of young Chinese people," he said.

These qualities are also what Alshahrani Dhafer Abdullah M, 33, has long been pursuing. Dhafer grew up in a village in Saudi Arabia. Wishing to explore more about the world, he has studied and worked in the UK and is now a postgraduate student majoring in engineering management at the University of Science and Technology Beijing.

Dhafer said he was "attracted by the profound history of China", referring to the great Chinese navigator Zheng He's voyages to the Middle East in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The relationship between Saudi Arabia and China is historical, but what impresses him more is the increasing exchanges between the two countries in recent years.

In his presentation at a seminar last week, Dhafer talked about the China-Arab State Technology Transfer Centre in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, where Chinese organizations share industry 4.0 technology and knowledge with Arab countries. He also referred to Saudi Arabia's King Salman scholarship program, which has helped thousands of Saudi students come to study in China since 2007.

"Seven people in my village have come to China for their studies, including a brother and sister of mine who both graduated with PhD degrees," he said. "I think my road to success lies here in China too and I plan to work in China after completing my studies."

Just like many other Saudi students in China, Dhafer said he aspires to become a bridge between the two countries.