His Excellency Dr Saad bin Saud Al Fuhaid, President of the Arabian Gulf University (AGU), recently received Ms. Noura Jamsheer, CEO of the Bahrain Institute of Pearls and Gemstones (DANAT), and her accompanying delegation.
The meeting came in the context of acquainting DANAT members with the soil and water, and the geoinformatics laboratories in the Natural Resources and Environment Department at the University’s College of Graduate Studies (CGS), with the aim of reviewing the abilities of the department’s laboratories and learning about the laboratory equipment available therein, in preparation for conducting survey research to study the environment of pearl oysters and seaweed in cooperation with the Department.
During the meeting, Dr Al Fuhaid expressed his appreciation and pride in the precious trust shown by ministries, institutions, and governmental and private research centres in academic cadres in the various specialisations offered by AGU, stressing that “AGU has a continuing role in harnessing all its capabilities, laboratories, and human and material energies to serve scientific research.”
The President also highlighted the importance of providing academic researchers with funding, consultations, and training to serve Bahrain and the GCC states as a whole.
On her part, Ms Jamsheer stressed the significance of the upcoming joint survey research cooperation between the university and DANAT, which will focus on studying the environment of pearl oysters and seaweed within a work team supervised by Dr Sabah AlJenaid, Professor of Geographic Information Systems and Environment at the CGS, and Researcher Specialising in Studies of the Impact of Climate Change on Coastal and Marine Environments.
The team also includes Mr. Khalil Al Wadaei, Environmental Expert in Land and Marine Biology, Dr Manaf Al Khuzai, Researcher in Artificial Intelligence Applications, Modelling and Programming Languages, Ms Ghadeer Kadhem, Researcher Specialising in Geographic Information Systems, Remote Sensing and Databases, and Ms Fadia Tashtoush, Researcher Specialising in Biological Analysis of Water, Soil and Plant Samples.
Ms Jamsheer presented an introduction to the progress of DANAT and its features of history and its role in emphasising Bahrain’s illustrious history in pearl diving and its global status as a major location for natural pearls.
She further explained that DANAT was established in 1990 as a laboratory for testing pearls and gemstones, which is considered the first laboratory of its kind in the Middle East, adding that the institute has gained a positive reputation in the region and beyond.
In conclusion of the meeting, Dr Al Fuhaid praised the expertise of those conducting research related to the sustainability of natural resources addressed by researchers at the university, including this research which will focus on the distribution and abundance of pearl oysters and seaweed and carbon sequestration and storage in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
