The tenth Science and Technology Week organized by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) opened Monday with special sections on robotics, drones and products powered by solar energy.

Jazan Gov. Prince Mohammed bin Nasser opened the event in the presence of KACST President Prince Turki bin Saud bin Mohammad Al-Saud in Jazan on Monday.

Prince Turki said that KACST is collaborating with the University of Jazan to educate the public on the importance of scientific and technological developments. “This is part of our efforts to build a knowledge-based society,” he said.

The governor was also briefed on the Kingdom’s solar power project, which has been accredited with International Standardization Organization (ISO) certification. The Kingdom’s solar projects are benefiting from nanotechnology provided by KACST.

KACST has set up a unit to produce 3-megawatt flat solar panels at the solar village in Al-Aiyyna, where it began production in 2011, with the production of 12,000 panels a year. It aims to set up a world-class plant to produce solar panels with a capacity of 120 megawatt in Al-Aiyyna over an area of 75,000 square meters.

The products and services at the exhibition were displayed at more than 28 pavilions. An official from KACST said the show is open to all segments and categories of society particularly the youth at schools and universities. The exhibits at the show include several live scientific experiments in robotics, drones and solar powered products. There are pavilions on environment, petroleum and gas, computers, nanotechnology, electronics, communications, photonics, aerospace, satellites, astronomy and physics. He said the morning session of the exhibition will be held from 8 a.m. to noon for school students. Evening sessions will be from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The show has toured Riyadh, Alkhobar, Taif, Al-Qassim and Jeddah.