The Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water was the Gold Sponsor for the 2009 Groundwater Summit which took place in Tucson, Arizona from 19-23 April 2009.
The Summit, which was held in conjunction with the spring meeting of the Ground Water Council, brought together a mix of regulators, natural resource managers, practitioners, and those who supply knowledge and technology needed to address key water issues.
The program focused on "the critical role of ground water in the context of a changing climate with regard to water resources and provided insights into the nature of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead."
Dr. Abdulmalek A. Al Alshaikh, the Prize's General Secretary, introduced the Prize at the summit and invited attended to make nominations for the Prize's 4th Award.
He also expressed his pleasure at returning to Arizona State University, where the summit was held, since this was where he pursued his graduate studies.
"It is a pleasure to be back at the University of Arizona, where I earned my Masters, and where I graduated in 1983 with a Ph.D. in Arid Lands Studies. During the years that I studied here, I gained invaluable knowledge and experience," Dr. Al Alshaikh said.