By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: The 12th International Invention Fair of the Middle East (IIFME) kicked off on Sunday at Arraya Conference Hall in Kuwait City under the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and in collaboration with the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva and Kuwait Science Club (KSC). "The success of the exhibition can be seen through a large number of participants from around the world, as the fair has a good reputation and excellent support for inventors," Capital Governor Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said.

He expressed hope to see good results of this fair that will develop scientific research because of its great importance in various fields, praising the role of the organizers, including administrators and participants headed by the chairman of Kuwait Science Club.

Talal Jassem Al-Kharafi, Chairman of the higher committee of IIFME, expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to HH the Amir for sponsoring IIFME. "We also appreciate HH the Amir's guidance and instructions, which had a significant impact on the development of this international scientific event, thus becoming an international distinction that Kuwaiti youth are able to achieve in the science field," Kharafi said. He voiced pleasure in welcoming 40 countries to the annual fair and thanked the participating inventors and HH the Amir for patronizing the fair.

KFAS Scientific Culture Director Dr Salam Al-Ablani affirmed that the foundation is one of the supporters and sponsors of this fair, based on its strategic goals to spread science and encourage the younger generation to get involved in science. "What distinguishes this exhibition is international participation, as the youth of Kuwait and the Gulf compete in presenting their ideas, inventions and innovations, and this generates many creative ideas for the next generation," he said.

Ablani said the exhibition brings the industrial sector closer to the inventors, which opens up great prospects. With more than 100 inventors from 40 countries, the four-day fair held under the slogan "Where investors meet inventors" is an important opportunity for inventors to show their innovations at one of the most important exhibitions for international inventions, especially since it is considered the first in the Middle East and second globally.

This fair is the first-of-its-kind to present huge prizes exceeding $50,000. These prizes were set to encourage and support inventors, where the main prize is $15,000, KSC's prize is $10,000, International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva presents a $5,000 prize and the GCC Patent Office presents 50,000 Saudi riyals, in addition to a prize presented by the World Intellectual Property Organization and another by the International Federation of Inventors' Associations.