RIYADH, 9 March 2008 — The first-ever exhibition to highlight Saudi inventions from across the Kingdom begins today in the capital under the auspices of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, president of the King Abdul Aziz and His Companions Foundation for the Gifted (KACFG).

“This exhibition is expected to be a landmark event in the history of the Kingdom,” said Education Minister Abdullah Al-Obeid, who is also the vice president of the KACFG. “It will pave the way for our nation to become more creative.”

The five-day exhibition, which will be open for the public starting from tomorrow at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh, is organized by the KACFG with the cooperation of Saudi Aramco. The exhibition will be open for singles in the mornings and families in the evenings each day.

Some of the inventors who are participating have already received patents for their work. Others seek to receive patents from their participation in this event. Organizers said inventors who presented fresh ideas never before seen were given priority in participation.

According to the organizers, 63 men and women from a pool of 331 contestants made it to the final stage in which their inventions will be displayed. Of the contestants, 59 are Saudis (including six women), three are Egyptians and one is Jordanian. The Saudi contestants come from over 20 cities and towns across the Kingdom.

“It is the king’s vision to build and develop a talented nation,” said Al-Obeid, adding that it is a priority of the government to turn the Kingdom into a knowledge-based society.

Some of the inventors who are participating have already received patents for their work. Others seek to receive patents from their participation in this event.

Among the international bodies participating in the exhibition is the International Federation of Inventors’ Association as well as the World Intellectual Property Organization. A number of high-tech global companies, such as Intel and M3, are also participating in the exhibition.

The exhibition will be an opportunity for inventors to meet businessmen who are interested in promoting or sponsoring their inventions at a global level.

“We aim to support the transition of Saudi Arabia into a developed knowledge-based society by preparing young, gifted inventors in large numbers to help carry out strategies in the future,” said Khaled Al-Sabti, secretary-general of the KACFG and head of the organizing committee for the event.