Saudi Arabia will become one of the leading countries in the world because of its investment in science and technology. This is the view of Prof. Choon Fong Shih, President of King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (Kaust). He was speaking during the second session of the final day of the Jeddah Economic Forum Tuesday. Shih said Kaust has brought in a number of experts from various fields such as science, engineering, and economics to exchange their experience and knowledge with Saudis. He also spoke about sustainable prosperity through science and technology and specifically the role of Kaust in advancing science and technology through education and research. The mission of Kaust also involves catalyzing diversification of the Saudi economy through innovation and enterprise as well as connecting people and improving lives through science and technology. Kaust is focusing on a number of key areas for sustained prosperity, including renewable energy, clean water for the 21st century, and food issues – specifically plants for harsh environments. Prof. Shih also indicated that technological change is taking place much faster than cultural change and this gap sometimes causes problems. Kaust is playing a role in bridging this gap through the Red Sea Science and Innovation Forum which will bring together scientists and technologists with a broad spectrum of those not involved in science and technology. Prince Dr. Turki Bin Saud Bin Mohammad Al-Saud, Vice President for Research at King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), said the city was also focusing on science and technology. He said the national science and technology policy of Saudi Arabia was developed by KACST and approved in July of 2002. Since that time, KACST has been instrumental in implementing this policy. This includes four five-year plans from 2005 to 2025 that will transform Saudi Arabia into a knowledge-based economy. The policy implementation involves a number of programs worth SR8 billion. Eleven areas of advanced technological focus have been identified: water; oil and gas; petrochemicals; nanotechnology; biotechnology; information technology; electronics, communications, photonics; space and aeronautics technology; energy; advanced materials; and the environment. He said a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program has been established to support the development of new Saudi businesses. This sector will help to create jobs for Saudis, he added. Prince Turki added that the university will soon launch a scientific television program in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Information, to help improve the awareness of the subject among young people. It will be broadcast on the Ajyal Channel. In a further development, he said the city was cooperating with IBM, using nanotechnology, to establishing the world's solar-energy based water desalination station in Al-Khafji with a capacity of 30,000 cubic meters. “We've started the project and it will take three years,” he said. The KACST has the exclusive right to market the technology in the Kingdom and the world. Sami Al-Basheer El-Morshed, Director of the Telecommunications Development Bureau in the International Telecommunications Union said there was a need for communication technology to be improved in the Gulf region. He said communication technology was “very important” for various sectors of society, including health and education. “We have to improve our communication fast, take the Internet to remote areas and to teach the new generation the right way of using the technology.”
