King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) is focusing on developing skills of its nurses and trying to attract more Saudis to the profession, according to a hospital administrator.
Mubarak Al-Faran, dean at KKUH’s college of medicine, said here on Monday: “We are always evaluating the performance of nurses and seeking to improve services. Our nurses are aware of quality improvements and new technologies to upgrade their skills.”
Al-Faran was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the hospital's annual Nursing Day 2013 entitled “Technology, Innovation and Informatics: Equipping Nurses for Efficiency.”
He praised KKUH administration and the nursing department for helping to make the event successful.
“We continue to deliver high quality compassionate healthcare to all Saudis through more than 1,000 beds at KKUH.”
“We have different programs for the development of nursing including patient care, surgical, communication skills and many others,” he said. He said the hospital has more than 1,000 highly trained nurses including 100 Saudi nurses. "We are seeking more professional local nurses.”
Mohammed Moufleh, director of the nursing department, said: “Nursing is an exceptional service that requires a good healthcare professional, and I am proud that we have these professionals in the hospital.”
Moufleh said the Saudization program in the nursing department focuses on developing young Saudis for the workplace. "The nursing department developed a six-month training program to improve the performance of Saudi staff,” he said.
Mohammad Atallah, associate director of nursing education and quality, said: “Rapid changes are taking place in the healthcare sector. This requires due attention to the implementation of quality improvements and management concepts in nursing operations.”
“We aim to improve the recruitment of nurses and monitor newly-hired Saudi nurses through a comprehensive departmental teaching plan."
“KKUH also provides the highest quality education possible to nursing students and stimulates the critical thinking skills necessary for nursing practice and leadership,” he said.
Abdulaziz Al-Saif, vice dean of KKUH affairs, said: “Nurses are the ones who provide proper care for patients. Sometimes the efforts of the nurses are not recognized by others.”
Al-Saif also presented services awards for the top hard working and dedicated nursing staffers.
Khawla Al-Harbi, IT director of KKUH, said the hospital is preparing the nursing workforce to contribute to a quality and safe healthcare environment. This includes becoming accustomed to a new paperless computerized reporting system.
“The Electronic System for Integrated Heath Information (ESIHI) is a big project that will be launched in October next year. It will help to educate our nursing staff and increase the quality of care for patients,” she said. Accompanying the event was an exhibition, which included the latest technical and academic developments in the field. The exhibition included the art and science of clinical practice.
KKUH focuses on Saudi nursing skills
KKUH focuses on Saudi nursing skills
Saudi Arabia, Estonia strengthen cyber defense cooperation
- Renowned for its leadership in digital governance, Estonia sees cybersecurity as central to its partnership potential with Saudi Arabia, building on years of regional engagement through its technology firms
RIYADH: Estonia aims to deepen defense, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence cooperation with Saudi Arabia as both nations look to advance technology‑driven defense and cybersecurity capabilities.
Hanno Pevkur, Estonia’s minister of defense, told Arab News at the World Defense Show in Riyadh on Monday that Estonia’s defense industry is eager to contribute to the Kingdom’s fast‑growing defense ecosystem.
“In the modern world, cooperation built on trust and technology is the best defense,” he said. “It is important for us to be here because we clearly see there is a possibility to increase cooperation, not only bilaterally between Saudi Arabia and Estonia, but across the region.”
At Estonia’s pavilion, a cooperation agreement was signed between an Estonian company and a Saudi firm during the show, he noted.
Pevkur also said Estonia’s defense sector has expanded rapidly in recent years, driven by technological innovation and partnership.
“Our defense industry is growing very rapidly, and we continue to see strong momentum,” he said.
He said Estonia’s strengths lie in digital and smart‑system integration rather than large‑scale weapons production.
“We will not build airplanes or tanks, but what we can do is integrate robotics, automation and drones to make existing systems smarter,” he said.
The minister said effective defense collaboration must link businesses and governments to achieve meaningful results.
“When we want to have real cooperation, we need it on all levels,” he said. “The biggest client for any defense company is the government, so we must treat this as one ecosystem where the public and private sectors work hand in hand.”
Renowned for its leadership in digital governance, Estonia sees cybersecurity as central to its partnership potential with Saudi Arabia, building on years of regional engagement through its technology firms.
Pevkur said several Estonian companies, including Nortal, have already assisted Gulf governments in developing open IT and digital‑service systems.
“As the most digitalized nation in the world, almost every service in Estonia can be done online, except getting married,” he said. “But with such digitalization, we also need strong cyberdefense.”
He said data protection and digital resilience are treated as matters of national sovereignty in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.
“Data is what we own. When someone steals that data, it becomes a serious threat,” he added. “That is why cyberdefense is not just about technology, it is about trust, sovereignty and protection.”
Pevkur said Saudi Arabia’s advances in AI offer promising opportunities for collaboration.
“I know that Saudi Arabia is doing great work when it comes to AI,” he said. “For us, as a small country with limited human resources, AI is essential not just for defense but for everyday life.”
Pevkur added that Estonia has launched a national AI strategy to promote responsible development and closer coordination between government and industry. One Estonian company, he said, has developed a system that allows a single operator to control hundreds of drones through AI.
“It is quite easy to put a weapon into the hands of a robot, but we also need to define who is accountable for its actions,” he said.
“The big question for the future is whether we can allow a war to be fought entirely by AI, or if humans must always make the final ethical decisions.”
He said in his conclusion that governments must reach a common understanding on how AI will be used and regulated on the battlefield.
