Mohammed Al-Sudairi, the Saudi deputy minister of education for universities, research, and innovation, opened the Kingdom’s pavilion at the 49th Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions, the world’s largest annual event of its kind. Twenty-six Saudi universities took part in the event and a total of 113 inventions were produced in the scientific, theoretical, medical, and biological fields.
Among the universities taking part was Qassim University
Among the universities taking part was Qassim University, which showcased a display that highlights innovations and several inventions, including a method for desalinating salt water using a halophyte plant. Abdulaziz bin Bani Alharbi, a faculty member at Qassim’s College of Agriculture and Food, explained that the invention involved introducing water and placing the plant in a closed system that allowed the collection of water from the plant after the transpiration process. A gas exchange followed and then desalination to obtain salt-free water.
Also registered with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property is a process that extracts materials from date waste, which is then used in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Abdullah Almohaimeed, the head of the Innovation Centre and Intellectual Property at the university, said that Qassim participated in the exhibition as part of the Ministry of Education’s initiative to enhance the international presence of Saudi universities, in line with national objectives.
He added that the university’s participation aimed to highlight its role in supporting the innovation system and entrepreneurship, as well as showcase many inventions.