A delegation from Aramco visited the Honey Research Center at King Khalid University. The delegation met with the center's director, Prof. Hamid Al-Ghramah Al-Qahtani, and toured the honey packaging and filling laboratory. The visit is part of Aramco's initiative to support beekeepers and boost local honey production in the Asir region.

Dr. Al-Ghramah welcomed the delegation and praised Aramco's leading role in supporting and developing the beekeeping sector. He emphasized the strong partnership between the university and Aramco, highlighting the company's generous and ongoing support that has led to significant scientific achievements, including the registration of 36 bee genes, the identification of major bee pests and diseases, and the discovery of a new local bee strain with unique genes.

Al-Ghramah added that Aramco's support has contributed to the publication of ten prestigious scientific papers and the development of new drugs and treatments for bee diseases, enhancing bee health and increasing productivity.

The center's director expressed the center's ambition to become a global leader in bee research through advanced studies and publications in renowned scientific journals. He explained that the center is developing cutting-edge technologies, including patenting new devices with advanced technologies, and developing methods to combat bee diseases and pests using nanotechnology and artificial intelligence.

The tour included a visit to the honey research center's central laboratories, where the delegation received a detailed explanation of a recently launched laboratory equipped with modern equipment and advanced technologies capable of packaging and filling honey at a capacity of up to 100 kg per hour, equivalent to about 1.5 tons of honey per day. These technologies focus on improving honey quality and ensuring it reaches consumers in the best possible condition. The tour also included a visit to the laboratory's analysis and research laboratories, which are dedicated to testing honey quality and ensuring it meets international standards before packaging and filling. A comprehensive explanation was provided about the value-added products that can be produced from honey and bee products.