Saudi- KACST focuses on water treatment research

(MENAFN-Arab News) The King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) has spent SR160 million to carry out 250 research projects on water treatment technology

KACST Vice President Abdulaziz Al-Sweilem spoke of the priority for clean drinking water technology during the inauguration of the Second International Water Technology Conference at the KACST headquarters on Sunday

?Providing clean water is one of the most important challenges facing the development plans in the Kingdom,? he said, and pointed out that the demand for more water was mainly due to increasing population and also due to the development of various civil and industrial projects

The conference, sponsored by the KACST, is being held under the aegis of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah

Among the distinguished guests at the event were Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) Gov. Abdulrahman Al-Ibrahim and Undersecretary at the Ministry of Water and Electricity Saleh Al-Awaji

According to Al-Sweilem, KACST attaches great importance to research in water technology because of its growing importance. The national policy for science, technology and innovation has listed water research and technology in its top 14 projects in the Kingdom, he said, adding that KACST has about 100 research papers on water projects for postgraduate students of various universities

He pointed out that solar desalination projects, undertaken under the national policy for science, technology and innovation, would reduce the cost of producing desalinated water in the Kingdom

Al-Ibrahim said water and related technologies are the subject of a wide range of scientific and applied research with clear implications for the daily life of all communities.

?The three-day conference would focus on multiple tracks covering recent developments and innovations in water technology and their implications for water desalination and waste water treatment,? he said. ?This conference is regarded as a unique international gathering of leading water technology experts from around the world and 16 scientific papers are to be presented during the course of the conference.?