Dhahran: The King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran recently held its 11th Design Expo, featuring 93 senior student projects addressing real-world challenges.

The event emphasized interdisciplinary teamwork, with awards given to standout projects showcasing innovative solutions to industry problems.

Khaled Al-Athel, dean of the College of Engineering and Physics, told Arab News: “Two years ago, the university launched a capstone senior design project where students from various disciplines collaborate. So you find a civil engineer working with mechanical and computer engineers to solve a certain problem.”

He added that real-life challenges are multidisciplinary, requiring diverse expertise, and that this approach has matured, with all projects now involving students from at least three disciplines tackling real-life problems.

The university's president, Muhammad Al-Saggaf, presented awards to the top projects across several categories.

The Most Humanitarian Project Award was won by the team behind the “Glove for the Deaf to Understand and Convert to Audible Speech,” while the Most Innovative Project Award went to the creators of the “Heat-Based Feedback Suit,” and the Best Elevator Pitch Award was presented to the team behind the “Hybrid Buried Anti-Personnel Landmines Detection System.”

The Most Entrepreneurial Project Award went to the “Smart Blind Guider,” the Best Prototype Award was earned by “Space Debris Tracking,” the Best Project Award was given to “Improving Plant Sustainability Footprint by Optimizing Fuel Management Using Methane and Recycled Hydrogen from Carbon Emissions,” and the Public Voted Project Award went to the “Waste to Methanol Project.”

Among other notable projects was a portable solar-powered desalination system developed to address water scarcity. The team behind the project told Arab News: “Access to clean and safe drinking water is a critical challenge in remote and resource-constrained regions. The portable desalination system offers a sustainable, efficient solution for clean water access in these areas.”

Another group focused on extracting valuable minerals from brine. The team said: “Our innovative mineral extraction process offers a sustainable, cost-effective solution for producing high-quality minerals.

“By addressing the rising costs and environmental challenges faced by manufacturers, our approach minimizes ecological impact while ensuring efficiency and reliability in mineral sourcing.”

In 2025, the expo will welcome its first cohort of senior women engineers, marking a historic milestone for the university. Previously an all-male institution since its founding in 1963, the university began admitting women in the 2021-2022 academic year.

The university also began allowing the general public to attend the expo days.

Al-Athel emphasized that everyone should come and see these projects. His 10-year-old daughter also attended the expo, listening as each team discussed their projects while standing by her father.

“There is a lot of innovation here, a lot of things that can help real-life situations,” she said.

DUBAI: Japan is “delighted” with the rising interest from Saudi Arabia travelers in the Asia nation’s tourism offerings, according to a leading official on Monday.

Daisuke Kobayashi, executive director of the Japan National Tourism Organization’s office in Dubai, said that JNTO’s first event in Riyadh, titled “FEEL YOUR FOUR SEASONS,” allowed the organization to share the diverse attractions of his country.

“We are honored to have hosted our very first consumer event in Riyadh at such a meaningful time, as we approach the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2025,” he stated in a press release.

The event, which took place on Dec. 6 and 7, provided visitors with an introduction to Japan’s diverse seasonal attractions, including luxury travel experiences available across the Asian country’s regions.

Visitors were treated to two domes that showcased Japan’s spring and autumn landscapes, along with exhibitions introducing delicacies, activities and travel content specific to each season.

As Saudi Arabia prepares to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh, the event also featured participation from the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau, representing Osaka, the host city of Expo 2025.

The event was attended by approximately 2,000 guests, including local consumers, media representatives, and influencers.

According to Kobayashi, in the first half of 2024, there was a 72.2 percent increase in visitors from Saudi Arabia to Japan, compared to the same period in 2023.

He said that Japan offers a variety of “unique experiences” throughout the year including train journeys during the cherry blossom season, and ikebana (flower arrangement) workshops.

There is also forest bathing in “lush green woods during summer, temple stays surrounded by autumn foliage, skiing on pristine powder snow and even drift-ice walking tours in Japan’s northernmost regions during winter.”

• This article originally appeared on Arab News Japan