Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector-General Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz chaired the meeting yesterday of the concerned committee at which details of the Prince Sultan International Prize for Water were announced. Secretary-General of the Prize Committee Dr. Abdulmalek Al-alshaikh explained that the Prize, aimed at giving appreciation to research into water affairs conducted by scientists, intellectuals, and scientific foundations all over the world, is divided into five categories. The prize money, donated by Prince Sultan, is SR 500,000 [U.S. $ 133,511] for each category

The topics for this year's prize are as follows:

•         In the category of surface water: effective ways to control flooding;

•         In the category of groundwater: supplying groundwater to industries;

•         In the category of alternative water resources: economical technologies for sea water desalination;

•         In the category of water resource management: modern and effective techniques to conserve consumption of irrigation water;

•         In the category of water resource protection: protection of groundwater from agricultural pollutants.

Addressing those present, Prince Sultan stated: "The Kingdom has set up a national plan for water that aims at evaluating water resources, controlling the demand of water, setting up a water policy and preparing a system that would lead to minimal use of water for various purposes. ……  The increasing demand for water instigates us to confront the deficit and find ways of developing resources, utilizing them optimally, and supporting research in this area."

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