As many as 200 Saudi inventors in the petrochemical, renewable energy, information and communication technology (ICT) and medical fields are taking part in the Ibtikar 2013 Expo in Riyadh.
The annual event is aimed at highlighting the national potential for invention and innovation and raising the community’s awareness on the national innovation system.
The five-day event, held under the aegis of Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, was launched Sunday night at the International Riyadh Convention and Exhibition Center (IREC). The King Abdul Aziz and his Companions Foundation for the Gifted and Creativity, or Mawhiba, and Saudi Aramco jointly organized the event.
Some 200 male and female students representing various universities and research centers across the Kingdom are taking part in invention and innovation shows in fields including water, petroleum and gas and in other fields related to technology.
Ibtikar 2013 Expo is one of the largest and most important exhibitions specialized in knowledge invention and innovation in the Middle East. It is a platform for the dissemination of the culture of invention and innovation and for the creation of links between inventors and investors to turn Saudi Arabia into a knowledge-based society.
Last month, five Saudi students won awards in innovation at the Taipei International Exhibition of Inventions (TIEI), the largest innovation exhibition in Asia.
Representing Saudi Arabia, the talented students won five medals and 13 special prizes, in addition to various awards for excellence at the exhibition in different fields. More than 25 countries around the world participated in the event.
The students, who were sponsored by Mawhiba, received one gold medal, two silver medals and two bronze medals in various categories, in addition to a number of special awards.
Last year, Saudi inventors were awarded one gold, two silver and three bronze medals at the International Trade Fair of Ideas, Inventions and New Products (IENA) held in Germany.
