Top scientists set to unveil their activities DHAHRAN – Fourteen leading scientists will on Sunday unveil their research activities at the First Annual Research Day at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). The event is being organized by the KFUPM Deanship of Scientific Research. The research day will be inaugurated by Dr. Khaled Al-Sultan, KFUPM President. The research papers will discuss the latest development in the following fields of research: applied mathematics, solar energy, concrete products, Arabic computing, laser, petrochemical refining, water, power generation, nanotechnology, and Islamic banking. Dr. Sahel N. Abduljauwad, Vice President for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, said the research is the product of the university's six centers of applied research which are funded by KFUPM and other national and international research funding agencies. The university's research infrastructure includes more than 600 dedicated faculty members and researchers and a large number of world-class research labs, and is projected to spend more than SR82 million on research this year, according to Abduljauwad. “The objective of this workshop is to promote the culture of collaboration/cooperation in the emerging fields of knowledge in the specific areas of national and international importance. It is envisaged that this event will provide an opportunity for the faculty, researchers and graduate students and participants from the industry to come together and discuss the research activities at the university, explore new collaborations, and lay a foundation for new partnerships,” Abduljauwad said. Among the most interesting topics to be presented is the development of solar energy research by Dr. Habib Abualhamayel, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KFUPM. He said interest in renewable energy resources, like the sun, is increasing globally and that Saudi Arabia has the potential to be a global exporter of solar energy. “Saudi Arabia is currently considering renewable energy sources with a focus on solar and wind. It receives some of the most intense sunlight in the world, 105 trillion kilowatt hours a day, the equivalent of eight billion barrels of crude oil in energy terms,” Abualhamayel stated in his study abstract.
