TABUK — Tabuk Emir Prince Fahd bin Sultan announced that his Scientific Excellence and Distinction Award will cover 50 percent of the establishment costs of private medical clinics for award winners in the medical field who wish to launch their own practices. Prince Fahd made the announcement during the 39th annual ceremony of the Prince Fahd bin Sultan Award for Scientific Excellence and Distinction, held under the emir’s patronage, in Tabuk on Tuesday. The initiative is aimed at supporting outstanding Saudi medical professionals as they move into their careers and encouraging them to establish their own professional ventures. Prince Fahd said Saudi Arabia needs qualified national talent across medicine, engineering and other fields. He expressed hope to see the award winners working in hospitals and clinics across the Kingdom as well as establishing their own businesses.The Emir said investing in Saudi citizens is a central pillar of Saudi Vision 2030, highlighting the support of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for developing and empowering Saudi men and women. Reflecting on nearly four decades of the award, Prince Fahd said many previous recipients have gone on to become doctors, engineers, military officers, pilots and business people, contributing to the Kingdom across a wide range of fields. “This, for me, is the greatest reward and the goal I seek,” he said, pledging continued support for the award and its mission,” he added. During the ceremony, Prince Fahd honored 27 male and female winners for academic achievement, congratulating them on their accomplishments and encouraging them to continue contributing to the Kingdom. Awards were also presented for community service and excellence in creativity and innovation. Ibrahim Al-Anazi, Fahd Al-Hujouri and Dr. Mubarak Al-Dosari were recognized for community contributions covering mental health, integrated healthcare for kidney failure patients and the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners. Dr. Mona Al-Balawi and the “Slope Leveling Robot” project team were honored in the creativity and innovation category for research and technological contributions. Their work included the development of smart, sustainable and self-healing coating technologies for infrastructure, road markings and airport runways, as well as electric robotic technology designed to level ski slopes and reduce reliance on human intervention in slope maintenance. University of Tabuk President and Chairman of the award’s higher committee Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Ghamdi said the award, launched nearly four decades ago, has evolved into a leading platform for recognizing outstanding achievement and encouraging scientific and community innovation in the region.