King Saud University has launched the second edition of its "Wa'ed" programme, for 2026, with the participation of 117 faculty members and 117 research projects. 

The event was attended by Vice President for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Prof Dr Hisham Al-Hadlaq and several deans and university officials, a Saudi Press Agency (SPA) report said.

The programme aims to empower new faculty members and support their research careers by developing their skills in proposal writing, project management, and teamwork. It also provides a stimulating research environment and support for equipping laboratories, research facilities, and related infrastructure.

Specialised workshops and training courses

Wa'ed offers participants opportunities to develop their skills through specialised workshops and training courses, participate in scientific conferences, build scientific collaboration networks with local and international experts, and engage with experienced researchers within the university.

Vice Dean of Scientific Research for Research Affairs and Supervisor of the Programme Professor Ibrahim Abdullah Alnaser said the second edition supports 117 research projects for new faculty members, building on the first edition, which included 100 faculty members. 

The first edition has so far resulted in approximately 144 workshops, 53 participations in scientific conferences and advanced statistics courses, and the publication of more than 50 scientific papers.

Diverse fields

The projects supported by the programme cover diverse health, scientific, technological, and social fields related to national issues and priorities. They include developing a tool adapted to Saudi society to assist in assessing and diagnosing elderly patients following injuries and predicting their severity based on available clinical data from emergency departments. 

Another project involves developing an educational application for healthcare professionals on dealing with cases of violence against children, aiming to enhance their ability to recognise indicators of violence and abuse.

Wa'ed programme is part of King Saud University's efforts to advance high-quality research, prepare new faculty members to obtain national and international research grants, and enhance interdisciplinary research cooperation, contributing to the use of knowledge and scientific research to serve national priorities and achieve the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.—TradeArabia News Service