The Vice President of King Khalid University for Graduate Studies and Research, Prof. Hamed bin Majdou' Al-Qarni, affirmed in his speech at the opening of the Future Directions Forum in its first edition, which was launched under the title "Universities and Sustainable Development", that "the Asir region and King Khalid University’s creativity and excellence were highlighted at the ceremony honoring the Arab universities listed in the 2024 Arab Classification in the presence His Royal Highness, Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Asir Region and Head of its Development Authority, alongside elite leaders and pioneers of academic work in the Arab world.

Al-Qarni stressed that this work comes in light of Saudi Vision 2030, stressing that the vision came to transform administrative, academic and developmental work, and directs its paths accurately towards goals, pointing out that it helped national institutions to reconsider their ways of working and elevated their performance, so this blessed vision confirms that strategic work is the path to excellence and that the language of numbers and performance indicators is the truest of languages.

Al-Qarni added that from this standpoint, at the local level, the Asir region witnessed the launch of the first regional strategy, pointing to the university's building of a strategy in line with the Asir region development strategy, whose axes are based on the economy, man, and land; adding that the university launched its orientation towards globalization, believing that it is not only a place for education or scientific research, but rather an active partner in development, construction, development and future-making.

Al-Qarni pointed out that the forum’s discussion of serious topics such as the role of universities in strengthening national and global environmental capabilities and their contribution to upgrading national and global tourism, the role of universities as a major engine for developing the knowledge economy and leading the transformation towards it, the organizational structure of universities and its role in promoting sustainable development, and what the forum is witnessing of the signing of cooperation agreements and the launch of a number of projects, and working on the round table initiative that enhances expertise, in addition to the effective partnership with the Asir Region Development Authority; confirms that this forum highlights the contribution of universities to development and moving forward in this direction.

Al-Qarni valued the great attention and great support that the forum received from His Highness the Governor of Asir and head of its development authority, and from His Excellency, the President of the University. He expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Education, the League of Arab States, the Union of Arab Universities and the relevant entities and institutions, as well as attendees and participants from various universities in the Arab world; expressing his gratitude to the university's work teams, stressing that they "made, gave, worked and took upon themselves the responsibility of the great success of the two events".