RIYADH: Rewarding and recognizing research in water-related fields can help solve the water shortage in the Middle East, according to Secretary-General of Prince Sultan International Prize for Water Abdulmalek Al-Asheikh.
Speaking at a press conference here yesterday at the close of the Third International Conference on Water Resources, Al-Asheikh said that acknowledging the achievements of innovators in this field could help develop future methods that this region can benefit from to remedy the shortage of drinking water.
The conference was held concurrently with a meeting of the Prince Sultan International Prize for Water Committee during the First Arab Water Forum at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh.
The prize was established to acknowledge exceptional and innovative scientific work that contributes to the sustainable availability of potable water and the alleviation of water scarcity, particularly in arid regions.
The prize awarding ceremony was attended by the Netherlands’ Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, prince of Orange and chairman of UN secretary-general’s Advisory Commission for Water and Sanitation Affairs.
The conference discussed numerous issues related to the current water crisis and ways of raising awareness, developing knowledge and sharing information in water resources and desert-related fields.
