Madinah hosts global academics in first Saudi knowledge forum

The Noor (or 'light') Conference will bring together international experts and leading academics from across the world to discuss leading edge research and hypotheses in the fields of information communications technology and medicine.

Noor will allow participants to discuss and exchange ideas, research results, development activities, and applications in one of the historical centres of the Islamic faith. It is hoped that Noor and with it the S$7bn Knowledge Economic City will become the foundation of knowledge-based industries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a renaissance of scientific leadership in the Islamic world.

Noor will become an annual event, following this, its inaugural year, and will focus each year on different sciences. This year healthcare and information communications technology will be the main themes. Leaders from such reputable international organizations as Harvard University, Stanford University, the Association of Muslim Scientists in the US and the Islamic Foundation from the UK will gather in Madinah to discuss topics ranging from smart cities and hybrid vehicles to autism and genetic disorders.

HE Mr. Amr Abdullah Al-Dabbagh, Governor of SAGIA, recognized Saudi Arabia's leadership by saying:

'Hosting the annual global forum NOOR in Al-Madinah, bringing the leading scientists, intellectuals, business people and public sector leaders together in one of history's great intellectual centers, is just one small step toward creating the ultimate intellectual milieu for stimulating the next generation of knowledge creation. On behalf of the organizers and participating scientists, I offer my gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, HRH Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, and HRH Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Majed, Governor of Al-Madinah Province, for their support for the forum.'

Mr. Fahd M. Hamidaddin, Marketing & Corporate Communications General Director for SAGIA, continued by saying:

'The Noor forum attracts business people from all around the Islamic world and I urge Saudi businesses to participate, so that they may benefit from the innovation, creativity, scientific vision and investment opportunities presented by the forum. Together, these elements will make the Prophet's Holy City a beacon for the Islamic world and further elevate Saudi Arabia's status as a global investment hub.'

He added, 'The forum received hundreds of papers from scientists around the world who were eager to participate. Our scientific committee has selected only the best 40 for the event and we look forward to welcoming innovators from the leading universities and companies, such as Stanford University, NASA, the Mayo Clinic and Google.'

Papers on the first day of the event discussed issues of healthcare, and ranged from, transforming health education to strategies to decrease genetic disorder. The second day showcased a number of papers dedicated to ICT, where topics covered a wide spectrum from pro-innovation infrastructure to next generation tech-investments.