JEDDAH: King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah recently organized a forum to explore the use of artificial intelligence in developing knowledge systems and supporting digital transformation.
The two-day event, which concluded on Tuesday at the King Faisal Convention Center, highlighted the role of libraries and information institutions in supporting education, research, and innovation in the digital era.
Opening the forum on behalf of the university’s president, Prof. Amin bin Yousef Noaman, the vice president for graduate studies and scientific research, also marked the launch of the ScienceDirect full-text database.
The platform provides access to over 23 million articles and book chapters from around 3,000 scientific journals and more than 48,000 books.
The forum included six panel discussions with 20 speakers, along with seven virtual sessions, workshops, and training courses.
An accompanying exhibition showcased technological solutions, allowing participants to engage with database providers and explore knowledge systems.
Sessions focused on the integration of AI in libraries and academic institutions, addressing governance, academic learning, and heritage preservation in the context of digital transformation.
The event also explored ways to strengthen library and information science practices to support future research, while experts discussed challenges related to AI literacy and shared best practices.
Discussions highlighted the role of AI in supporting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 by improving the efficiency of information institutions and contributing to the knowledge economy.
The university’s General Administration of Library Affairs also announced the winners of the Elsevier Award for the top three published scientific papers.
Prof. Abdullah Baabdullah received the Research Impact Award, Abrar Al-Sufyani was named Best Emerging Researcher, and Prof. Zuhair Natto received the Academic Excellence Award.
The initiative aims to equip library professionals with a better understanding of AI and its impact on information services, while supporting the university’s role in the knowledge sector and sustainable development.
