Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah inaugurated here today the 13th GCC Industrialists Conference entitled "Knowledge-based Industries and Modern Technologies" and the International Exhibition held on the sidelines of the three-day conference. The Minister of Commerce and Industry delivered the King's speech in which he said that the Kingdom has adopted a national plan for science and technology whose finances amounted to more than SR 8 billion, stressing that its implementation will result in the achievement of a major shift in support of scientific research, technical development, transfer and indigenization of technology, shift to a knowledge-based society, and provision of the educational system with the ability to produce qualified manpower capable of meeting the requirements of current and future plans, projects and initiatives of the country. The King said, "I submit the following recommendations including support and promotion of cooperation between universities and industrial companies in the field of scientific research, support for scientific research in industry, and adoption and support of the works of GCC youth in scientific research field. The King wished the conference every success to come out with recommendations benefitting GCC citizens.
