Press Invite: Saudi Prince Sultan Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz in the Netherlands for International Water Prize

His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange is delighted that a high level committee consisting of Chairman Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, prominent Saudi leaders and international academic experts, will visit the Netherlands on October 30 to discuss possible solutions for today’s global water challenges.

Media are invited to interview HRH Prince Sultan Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz and his committee members on Friday 30 October, Time: 6.30-7 PM. Location: UNESCO-IHE, Westvest 7, Delft.

The Prize Council, as the committee is called, is here to present the fourth Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (www.PSIPW.org). The PSIPW is a bi-annual scientific award, giving recognition to the efforts that scientists and researchers around the world are making in the field of water-conservation and other water-related fields.

As initiator of the PSIPW, Saudi Crown Prince Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz states: “By honouring creative scientists, the Prize gives recognition to the contributions made to protect one of our most precious natural resources.” UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in Delft will host the visit. Rector Professor András Szöllösi-Nagy is a permanent member of the council, that consists of 12 leaders with varying backgrounds.

Saudi leaders will speak to a number of Dutch water experts during a roundtable discussion organised by the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP). The world faces many water related challenges, especially in the field of water conservation and efficient water usage. The Netherlands is internationally renowned for its distinctive expertise in water management and water technology.

At 6.30 PM members of the press are welcome to personally interview Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz and the other committee members, as well as the Dutch experts. The political leaders and experts will be happy to share their vision on solving the world’s water challenges. Afterwards the committee will leave for the City Hall of Delft, where a CEO-dinner will take place with a number of Dutch business leaders and scientists, hosted by Mayor Verkerk of the City of Delft.

For registration and information please contact:

Netherlands Water Partnership:

Femke Smeets, Spokesperson
+31 (0)6 48798081 or f.smeets@nwp.nl

UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education:

Alida Pham, Communication and Marketing Officer
+31 (0) 6 12974079, or a.pham@unesco-ihe.org

General Secretariat- Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water:

+966-1-4675571, or info@psipw.org

About the Prize:

The Prince Sultan International Prize for Water was inaugurated by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz in 2002. Now, as the Prize receives nominations for its Fourth Award; it continues to be an inspiration for scientists, researchers, and inventors.
Expressing his intentions for the Prize, HRH Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz said “By honouring creative scientists, the Prize gives recognition to the contributions made to protect one of our most precious natural resources.”

The Prize, judged by an internationally acclaimed panel of scientists, awards five branches. The Creativity Prize valued at SR 1,000,000 ($266,000) is awarded to a "breakthrough" in any water-related field. The remaining four Specialized Branch Prizes are valued at SR 500,000 ($133,000) each: (1) Surface Water, (2) Ground Water, (3) Alternative (Non-traditional) Water Resources, and (4) Water Resources Management and Protection.
The closing date for nominations to the Fourth Award is 31 January 2010. Interested parties should submit their nominations online before the deadline: www.psipw.org.

Applications are still open to participate in the 4th International Conference on Water Resources and Arid Environments (ICWRAE) that will take place concurrently with the awarding ceremony of the Prize in Riyadh between 5 and 8 December 2009. All applications must be submitted through www.icwrae-psipw.org.

About UNESCO-IHE

Professor András Szöllösi-Nagy, recently appointed Rector of UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, is one in four international experts comprising the Prize Council of the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water. Prior to his appointment in Delft, the Netherlands, Professor Szöllösi-Nagy was Director of the Division of Water, Secretary of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) and Deputy Director-General of the Natural Sciences Sector of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, is the largest international postgraduate water education institute in the world and the only institution in the UN system authorised to confer accredited MSc degrees and promote PhDs. The mission of UNESCO-IHE is to contribute to the education and training of professionals and to build the capacity of sector organisations, knowledge centres and other institutions active in the fields of water, the environment and infrastructure, in developing countries and countries in transition.

Since 1957, the Institute has provided postgraduate education to over 14,500 water professionals from 162 countries, the vast majority from the developing world. Currently over 80 candidates are registered PhD fellows, and numerous research and capacity building projects are carried out throughout the world.

About the Netherlands Water Partnership

Over 10 years already, the Netherlands Water Partnership has stimulated cooperation and synchronisation of all parties that comprise the Dutch Water Sector. A united sector can achieve more in solving global water related challenges. Moreover by offering an integral solution using nation branding, the Dutch increase their position on the world water market. To be able to achieve these goals, NWP organises and coordinates projects and events in the Netherlands, on an EU level and in the rest of the world.

Download het Nederlandse persbericht.