Shoura seeks KACST research assessment

The Shoura Council has asked King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) to appoint a neutral agency in the Kingdom to assess the institution’s scientific research undertaken over the past five years.
The Shoura took the decision based on a recommendation made by a member during discussions on KACST’s annual report for 2014/2015, said Deputy Speaker Yahya bin Abdullah Al-Samaan after the body’s 27th session, a local publication reported.
Meanwhile, the Shoura has urged the Saudi Industrial Property Authority (Modon), during discussions on its annual report, to launch further studies on which regions could benefit from industrial cities and incubators.
The Shoura urged Modon to work with other organizations to set out indicators for how Saudi industrial products would fare on global markets. Later, members discussed the possibilities of setting up free trade zones near ports under Modon.
One member said that several factories falling under the umbrella of Modon were either not operating effectively or had not been completed. He said the contribution of factories to the country’s Gross Domestic Product was important, not the number operating in the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, another member raised concerns about the quality of factories established by Modon, their capital, products, and “poor” Saudization staff quotas.
At the outset of the meeting, the Shoura approved a draft agreement between the Saudi and Brazilian governments following a report presented by the transport, telecoms and information committee, Al-Samaan said.
Source: Arab Today