551 specialists attend fourth International Conference on Forensics in Riyadh JEDDAH: The fourth International Conference on Forensic Sciences, organized by Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS), represented by the Arab Society for Forensic Sciences and Forensic Medicine (ASFSFM), has begun at the university’s headquarters in Riyadh. It will run from Nov. 27 to 29. The event has attracted 551 specialists from health ministries, crime labs, forensic groups, research centers and other related organizations from 34 Arab, European, Asian and American countries. The event includes workshops focusing on subjects such as forensic medicine, criminal justice, criminology, forensic dentistry, forensic psychiatry, criminal and clinical toxicology, forgery and counterfeiting, DNA, criminal chemistry, digital criminal evidence, anthropology, and crises and catastrophes. The aim of the event is to review recent experiments and practices in the fields of forensic science and forensics, examine the latest scientific and research developments in forensic sciences and medicine, promote cooperation between the ASFSFM and regional and international institutions specializing in forensic sciences and medicine, showcase distinguished scientific research, and promote cooperation and the sharing of expertise. “NAUSS gave the subjects of forensic evidence and forensic medicine the care and attention they deserve, bearing in mind that educating, training and developing scientific and technical cadres provides knowledge and enough evidence to solve crimes and ensure justice and security in Arab societies,” said NAUSS President Dr. Abdulmajeed bin Abdullah Al-Bunyan. He thanked King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Minister of Interior Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saud bin Naif for their patronage of the pioneering Arab institution, and expressed his appreciation to Arab ministers for supporting it. “Driven by its belief in the importance of improving the performance of those working in the field of criminal investigation and in special criminal laboratories, the university inaugurated the ASFSFM in 2013,” he said. “NAUSS has come a long way in training Arab security personnel and providing them with the latest developments in forensic sciences,” Al-Bunyan added. He said he also hoped that the conference will help to develop practical and implementable recommendations that will contribute to raising the efficiency of those working in the field. Dr. Abdulsalam Ahmed Bakdash, ASFSFM’s secretary-general, highlighted the importance of the conference and its objectives, saying that it “embodies the ambitions of those working in this field” within the framework of the university’s efforts to improve forensic sciences and forensic medicine. Dr. Henry Lee, head of the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science at the University of New Haven, thanked NAUSS for the efforts it is making to help ensure security and justice. He also emphasized the importance of the conference, which gathers forensic experts from around the world to discuss the latest developments in the field. This helps contribute to constructive international cooperation to confront the crises facing the world, he added.