Official government website of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 
This morning, Saturday, April 27, the university hosted events and an exhibition for World Veterinary Day, which is adopted by the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture every year. This year's event is being held at the university under the theme «The Importance of Vaccinations,» patronized by His Royal Highness Prince Dr. Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Al-Qassim Region. The events took place in the main university hall at the university city, with the participation of a number of specialized speakers in this field. The events and exhibition were inaugurated by His Excellency Dr. Hamad Al-Batan, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture for Animal Resources, accompanied by Dr. Mohammed Al-Athaib, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and attendees toured the accompanying exhibition after the opening. Following this, an introductory film about the importance of vaccinations was shown.
In his opening speech for the events, Al-Batshan emphasized the integration of work between the ministry and the university in this field, as there is a significant shortage of human resources in veterinarians working in the Kingdom, who may only cover a quarter or less of our needs to meet the demands of the labor market. He praised the role of universities, which are at the forefront among the various state sectors in fulfilling all their requirements. He also pointed out that we have professional veterinarians in the Animal Resources Agency, and he assured them that we will continuously strive to ensure the veterinarian holds the appropriate position within the ministry's plans.
"Al-Batshan" added that there are more than five thousand veterinarian needs in the Kingdom, stressing that King Faisal University and Qassim University are the only two universities that graduate veterinarians. He pointed out that the field of "millennial animal care" could be a very fertile field for our daughters to work in, as King Faisal University and the university are capable of focusing on this aspect. He added: "We at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture are fully prepared to provide any legislative assistance that universities may need in this regard. As you know, we are always their support. There is also the Agricultural Services Company, which provides all services related to treatment, quarantine, and laboratories. The ministry's role will be legislation and regulation to achieve its future strategies and goals, as a huge number of our countrymen work in the livestock sector in the Kingdom and need us to strive and work, not only in veterinary medicine but also to raise the productivity of this sector.".
For his part, the head of the organizing committee, Dr. Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Juhani from the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine at the university, affirmed in his speech to the attendees that the college seeks to communicate with graduates and employers to understand the requirements for performance development. This is to ensure that the university's educational outcomes align with the skills required by the labor market. This was clearly evident in the development of the bachelor's degree curriculum for the veterinary medicine program. The curriculum for the program has been modified and developed three times, the last of which was in 1437 AH, taking into account benchmarking at the local and international levels to achieve the best outcomes that meet the needs of the labor market.
Al-Juhani pointed out that the college's efforts resulted in the veterinary medicine programs, alongside the college of agriculture programs, obtaining full academic accreditation until 2023. In light of this, the university established a new, state-of-the-art veterinary teaching hospital, which is in the final stages of being equipped with the necessary modern and advanced devices and tools for operation. This will undoubtedly have a significant impact on graduates acquiring distinct skills and providing broader community services in the field of animal health and diseases.
He added: The college has established four scientific programs in Master of Science in Veterinary Medicine in the field of development at the postgraduate level since 1436 AH, and work is underway on more programs that keep pace with the labor market and the vision of youth and the nation, Vision 2030. The university also has other activities that are not academic but humanitarian in the field of veterinary medicine. The university cooperates with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture to achieve its strategic goals in preserving animal wealth. This includes what Qassim University offers in the veterinary convoys program, which travels to several regions in Qassim and provides its services and consultations free of charge to those in need.
Al-Juhani added that the university has made effective partnerships in training and qualifying workers in the field of veterinary medicine, including doctors and assistants, in cooperation with the Agricultural Training Center in Unaizah. The faculty of the Veterinary Medicine program has conducted applied research addressing field problems in veterinary medicine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, resulting in several faculty members receiving local and international awards. He noted that the university intends, in this context, to hold the second international scientific meeting for camels next year, God willing. He emphasized that the university's academic and professional activity goes hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and will be an important pillar in achieving the strategic goals and initiatives of the National Transformation Program 2030, under the leadership of our King and his loyal Crown Prince, may God protect them.
At the end of his speech, the head of the organizing committee welcomed the attendees, emphasizing the need to strengthen partnerships and agreements with the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture in the field of veterinary medicine activities for the prosperity of livestock in our dear homeland and to achieve self-sufficiency in this vital sector, thereby achieving sustainable development.
For their part, the veterinarians, in their speech delivered on their behalf by Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Musned, conveyed the veterinarians" thanks and appreciation to Qassim University and the Ministry. They emphasized the need to intensify efforts and cooperation between veterinarians and the college. Al-Musned said: "We are ready for any work and participation in scientific research." In his message to the veterinarians, he stressed that this profession is a blessing from God that allows you to be an effective and important element in your community, and in the service of your religion and your country, because you are the first line of defense, and you have proven that on multiple occasions. You must thank God for this talent and profession that God has bestowed upon you. You must be worthy of this blessing, work diligently, persevere, and possess good character, and always be in the service of your religion and your country.
And then, a model paragraph was presented by a field veterinarian, in which Dr. Al-Baraa Al-Othman was challenged. During this, he presented his experience in this profession and emphasized that the veterinary sector is the first safety valve for human health. The global animal health market is expected to reach $69.44 billion by 2026, indicating that the veterinary market growth rate is 12% annually. The local veterinary drug market exceeds 500 million riyals annually, and the local market for falcons exceeds 40 million riyals annually.
Al Othman then presented their most important ongoing projects, including Telad for Veterinary Medicine, the establishment of the first veterinary laboratory in 2009, obtaining 3 patents, participating in more than 25 research projects, and initiatives to release local falcons, including the Al Aradi Center for Falcon Conservation and Production, which preserves pairs of the Najdi lanner falcon and produces the purest breeds of endangered falcons.
"Al Othman" also presented job opportunities in the private sector, including the establishment of private veterinary clinics and food production projects such as "meat, poultry, and fish," as well as entering the field of veterinary pharmaceuticals, veterinary equipment, and feed additives. Additionally, it included investment in royal reserves, as environmental investment is among the highest income-generating investments globally. In 2002, tourism recorded international revenue of approximately 474 billion US dollars. Similarly, Southern Africa exports 2,000 tons of wild animal meat, worth 15,348,054 million dollars.
After that, a number of distinguished veterinarians were honored for their participation in various forums, then the panel discussion on vaccinations began with the participation of a number of specialized speakers in the field of veterinary medicine on the most pressing issues.
