RIYADH: King Saud University President Badran Al-Omar on Monday inaugurated the International Conference and Exhibition for Science at the Hamad Al-Jasser Hall in Riyadh in the presence of the deans of various colleges. Zaid Al-Othman, dean of the college of science at KSU, said that Saudi Arabia is keen to realize Vision 2030 by investing in its human, natural and acquired wealth, with the generous support of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who pay special attention to education, innovation programs and scientific research. Al-Omar said that over 6,7000 experts, researchers and academics with more than 2,300 scientific papers from over 88 countries are attending the three-day forum. Themes include the future of energy, mining, industrial chemistry, space sciences, environment and quality of life, biotechnologies, data protection and the role of women in science. “The conference aims to highlight the role of basic sciences in increasing the national output of scientific research and supporting the research and innovation system for the transition toward a sustainable economy based on knowledge, and highlighting the importance of research outputs in facing environmental challenges to achieve the Middle East Green initiative and building and developing the environment necessary to improve the quality of life,” he said. Yazeed Al-Sheikh, vice president of KSU, said that based on the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, the university realized the importance of scientific conferences, as well as local and international meetings, in encouraging communication between specialists, and opening horizons for local and international cooperation. The university is holding the Riyadh forum under the slogan “Science for a Prosperous Future,” in order to raise awareness about the importance of scientific research in the development of the economy and gross domestic product, he added.