The University, represented by the College of Engineering, held an international conference entitled "Prospects of Solar Energy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Applications and Challenges", today, Wednesday, 24/4/1442 AH, and will continue for two days, under the patronage and presence of His Royal Highness Prince Dr. Faisal bin Meshal bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Qassim, with the participation of a number of academics, researchers in solar energy applications and industry experts from inside and outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Following the opening of the conference, H.H. the Emir of Qassim honored the scientific and organizational committees that participated in the preparation of this international conference. H.H. the Emir also watched the participation of the student club in some graduation projects for students of the College of Engineering related to solar energy, in addition to a visual film about the importance, objectives and themes of this conference, which seeks to exchange experiences in the field of solar energy and identify the most prominent challenges facing this field and reach results and solutions to face and overcome these challenges.

At the beginning of his speech, Prof. Dr. Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al-Dawood, President of Qassim University, welcomed His Highness the Emir of the region, thanking him for his presence and patronage of this important scientific occasion. He also welcomed the participants in the activities of this international conference and all attendees, noting the great interest of the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince - may Allah protect them - in supporting the national economy in Vision 2030 for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reducing dependence on oil, supporting the trend towards sustainable sources of clean energy, and creating awareness of the importance of solar energy because it represents an abundant source of renewable energy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The university president explained that the idea of organizing this conference came in accordance with this noble initiative, and in line with the university's vision and mission in community service and scientific research, and in order to achieve sustainable development, by hosting a number of senior academics, researchers, industry experts and investors in the field of renewable energy and solar energy applications inside and outside the Kingdom in order to exchange experiences in this field, pointing out that research in promoting ways to benefit from solar energy and developing its technologies contributes to achieving the goals of our Kingdom's vision in diversifying the economy currently based on oil to transform the Kingdom from an advanced country in exporting oil to d...

At the end of his speech, the UQU President thanked all participants and attendees, led by His Highness the Emir of the region. He also thanked the organizing committees, the strategic partner of the conference, King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, and the sponsors, asking Allah Almighty to grant the participants of the conference success for the good of our country, preserve our country and our rulers, and keep us healthy, safe, and stable.

In his speech, Dr. Meshaal Al-Mashaigah, Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the conference and Dean of the College of Engineering, stressed that this conference comes from the vision and mission of the university, and a sense of the importance of holding such conferences in line with the Saudi Vision 2030, with the aim of supporting the national economy, reducing dependence on oil, and creating awareness of the importance of solar energy as an abundant source of renewable energy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, indicating that the conference covers all aspects of the current situation and developments in solar energy technologies and applications and focuses on using solar engineering in various applications within academic and governmental circles.

He added that the conference also aims to contribute to the transformation of the Kingdom from an advanced oil-exporting country to an exporter of sustainable energy. Over two days, 41 scientific research papers will be discussed and analyzed in 10 scientific sessions through which participants and researchers will present the latest achievements of modern science in the field of solar energy according to the seven themes of the conference, explaining that the conference will be accompanied by a virtual exhibition in which 16 researchers present the results of their scientific research and an exhibition about the College of Engineering and its potential in the field of sustainable energy.

The Dean of the College of Engineering pointed out that the UQU President issued a decision to form the scientific committee of the conference with the participation of a group of faculty members in the field of renewable energy at the College of Engineering. This committee held more than 21 meetings and received 198 research abstracts from 16 different countries, noting that the university has determined, based on its role as a beacon of science and in fulfillment of its vision and mission in serving researchers, academics and society, that the conference will be held virtually to achieve precautions and preventive measures. The university has created a virtual website that simulates Qassim University and its buildings to enable academics and researchers to attend and participate in the activities of the conference as if it were on the ground for the main university building, the university theater, and places for presenting scientific papers, and virtual lounges have been created to allow attendees to communicate and exchange scientific experiences with experts and researchers from several countries.