OREANDA-NEWS. December 25, 2013. Saudi Aramco teamed up with the Mawhiba group to present the third Ibtikar Exhibition in the Kingdom’s capital city under the theme “Creativity Builds a Knowledge Society.”

Innovation took the spotlight at the event, which featured hundreds of workshops, lectures and related events in addition to the exhibition, which drew more than 1,700 entrants in several categories. The event’s Scientific Committee reviewed the entries and narrowed the field to 210, including 110 from Saudi men and women students and 100 from university research centers.

Among the entries, 30 patents were registered at the Saudi Patents Office, representing 15 percent of the exhibition finalists.

Saudi Aramco president and CEO Khalid A. Al-Falih spoke at the event and put the innovation displayed there in context.

“As real creativity is a never-ending accumulation of achievements, no words will suffice to repay creative people as their ultimate goal is to contribute to the development and progress of their societies,” he said, noting that the company is honored to partner with the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) to bring such events to the Saudi people.

The Kingdom’s Minister of Education and Mawhiba vice president HH Governor Faisal ibn Abdullah ibn Mohammed opened the event and took pride in the hundreds of achievements of young Saudi men and women showcased there.

“What we see here reflects the true image of the Kingdom’s progress and prosperity,” the Minister said. “The Ibtikar Exhibition is a source of pride and honor for all of us as the participating pavilions and innovations embody remarkable progress on all sides.”

The Minister toured the Saudi Aramco pavilion and was welcomed by Ahmad O. Al-Khowaiter, the company’s acting executive director of New Business Development. Saudi Aramco Affairs department managers Abdulla I. Al-Isa and Mae S. Mozaini also were on hand to greet the Minister.

During the event’s closing ceremonies, Al-Khowaiter noted that the first Saudi patent was filed in the name of Saudi Aramco and that the company now has 260 international patents and another 535 patents pending.

“Ibtikar has become one of the most important regional exhibitions specialized in spreading the culture of innovation throughout the Saudi society, honoring creative Saudis and bringing together innovators, businessmen and those interested in the development of industries alongside international experts under the same roof,” Al-Khowaiter said.

He also detailed the company’s commitment to the Kingdom and its people.

“Social responsibility is not new to its system of operation. It’s an established part of the company’s core values as embodied in the value of citizenship,” he said. “Based on this role, we contribute greatly to encouraging young Saudis to innovate and invent whether through the various company programs directed to students or through the efforts exerted by Wa’ed, a company to assist young Saudis transform their ideas and inventions into projects by supplying them with material support and technical advice.”

The event was held under the auspices of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud, who also serves as president of Mawhiba.