The secretariat of the Abdullah Al-Sulaiman International Award for Scientific Creativity in Palm and Dates, which is held under the supervision of the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine at the university, announced that the period for receiving entries and applications for the second edition of the award in its various categories has been extended until August 1, to allow the largest number of those wishing to participate in this competition to fulfill the conditions of the competition and submit their scientific research in the field of developing date palm cultivation and industries based on its date products.

The Award is generously sponsored by His Royal Highness Prince Dr. Faisal bin Meshal bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Qassim Region and Supreme President of the Award, who is keen to support and encourage scientific capabilities and techniques, and spread the culture of interest in palm and dates at the local and international levels, through the great role played by the Award Secretariat to promote and develop this field through this useful pioneering initiative that seeks to encourage producers, exporters, marketers, institutions and specialized associations and stimulate them to this competitive environment for the impact of scientific production in the fields of palm and dates.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Suhaim, Executive Director of the Award, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine at the University, said that the Secretariat of the Award, based on its responsibility to raise the level of the competition and develop its outputs, stood by the desire of some applicants to extend the period for receiving research and various contributions so that they can present them in full, making them compete well and raise the level of competition for this international award, which last year witnessed strong competition between a large number of researchers and experts in the field of palm trees and dates.

Al Suhaim added that the Joud Award is one of the largest scientific and research competitions in the field of palm and dates in the Kingdom, with prizes amounting to one million riyals distributed on four axes: the Creative Work Award, the Distinguished Scientist Award, the Distinguished Production Award, and the Excellence in Red Weevil Control Award.

It is worth mentioning that the secretariat of the award has announced the conditions and procedures for applying for the award, which accepts nominations from all over the world, through the electronic registration form on the award's website, submitting a copy of the nominee's biography and a copy of the national ID or passport, and attaching the nominated work or research with a copy of the nominee's brief biography (pdf).

The conditions of the award include depositing the nomination files at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the award at the university and not returning them to their owners, whether they win or not, and without giving reasons. The jury has the right to recommend to the concerned councils to award the award jointly between two or more winning parties, and to recommend withholding the award from any category if it does not fulfill the conditions In addition, any work submitted for nomination (invention, research, study) should not be part of a work submitted for competition anywhere in the world, and any member who has an ongoing business relationship with the award may not apply for nomination for the award, nor may any candidate apply for two branches of the award in the same year.