Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Suwaiyel, KACST President, inaugurated today morning the 27th Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Islamic Conference Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) that the kingdom hosts in King Faisal Convention Center in the Intercontinental Hotel in Riyadh.

Dr. Al-Suwaiyel emphasized, “Challenges that encounter countries of the Islamic and in general developing countries in fields of science and technology are numerous, so, we have to do our best to overcome these challenges through finding the necessary means to develop science and technology in our countries and cooperate in between us.”

He stated that the kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been concentrating since the beginnings of the developmental planning to acquire main pillars of science and technology. It has established research centers in various governmental sectors such as universities, hospitals, large industrials institutions and so many others.

KACST President elaborated that out of the kingdom’s eagerness to foster scientific research and to coordinate and organize science and technology activities, it established King Abdul Aziz City of Science and Technology (KACST) whose main objectives concentrate on supporting, encouraging and executing scientific research for applied purposes and proposing priorities and national policies in fields of science and technology.

Dr. Al-Suwaiyel pointed that, KACST has achieved laying and drawing the detailed paths for eleven strategic technologies specified by the national comprehensive plan for science and technology in collaboration with universities, governmental bodies and the private sector, while benefiting from world, international and local expertise to make these paths meet and respond to the real needs of the kingdom besides functioning science and technology to serve the national income.  He added that KACST has finalized feasibility studies to establish innovation centers in Saudi universities to complete the coupling array among KACST, Saudi universities and the industrial sector besides constructing incubators of information technology and communications and biotechnology.

Dr. Al-Suwaiyel went on saying “The kingdom of Saudi Arabia, while realizing the importance of science and technology to raise the economic and social levels of the peoples of the Islamic Ummah, highly appreciates the industrious efforts exerted by COMSTECH in fields of developing science and technology in countries of the Islamic world. Meanwhile, the kingdom is keen to support all that facilitates scientific and technological cooperation with the OIC member states.”

 KACST President stressed that the kingdom would spare no efforts to preserve cooperation in these fields in the light of objectives laid by COMSTECH and support it by all means that would enable it to achieve its objectives.

Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, OIC Secretary General, by his turn, stressed that the current session of the Executive Committee has a significant importance as “we are half way in our work since adopting the 1441h program of Action and Vision for science and technology”.

He said” Knowledge and research were among the main features of the Islamic society since the appearance of Islam. The weakness of adhering to these great traditions, as time passes, led to widening the gap in seeking science and technology between OIC member states and advanced countries. As a natural result, our countries are still imprisoned in an empty circle of depending on the others, remaining behind, poverty and weakness.”

The OIC Secretary General hoped that the Standing Committee would direct actions of science and technology institutions to bridge the digital gap between the Islamic world and advanced world to restore the previous glory of the Islamic Ummah. He stated that the Islamic Ummah has to achieve the highest levels in economic, social and social fields to achieve an honorable future in the 21st century

Dr. Ihsanoglu highlighted that this meeting has gathered decision makers, scientists and academics form OIC member states who realize that development plans cannot achieve real development unless there is concentration on science and research. He also drew attention that any strategy targeting this objective should include more academic cooperation and exchange of knowledge among academic institutions particularly between private and public scientific institutions.

Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman, the Coordinator General of COMSTEC executive committee, welcomed the audience expressing his profound gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented in KACST, for hosting this meeting.

He elaborated on the importance of science and technology and their effect on the economic and social development stressing that the real wealth is represented in human potentialities and in securing education to develop an advanced educational environment.

Then, sessions of the meeting started where ministers in charge of science and technology approved the  preliminary agenda, specified the COMSTEC position regarding contributions of the member states, approved resolutions of the  meeting of the 26th meeting of the executive committee besides reviewing accounts of the period ended by 31se December 2007.

In the second session, participants reviewed activities of the COMSTEC 13th General Assembly, executing OIC activities for the coming ten years besides specifying new initiatives and political orientations issued by the Executive Committee. They also discussed the state of the COMSTEC building and the training that would be held in the COMSTEC secretariat in Islamabad. Furthermore, they reviewed procedures taken in the 13th General Assembly meeting.

During the third session, the participants discussed the additional roles of the COMSTEC secretariat such as its role in fields of science, technology and innovation and resolutions issued by ministerial council. They also specified a date for holding the 14th meeting of COMSTEC general assembly and discussed its preliminary agenda.

It is worth noting that COMSTEC, that is chaired by the Pakistani President and includes in its membership OIC ministers in charge of science and technology coordinates, supports and boosts cooperation among OIC member states in fields of science and technology.