His Excellency Dr Saad bin Saud Al Fuhaid, President of the Arabian Gulf University (AGU), met with a group of students and academic staff members from the Learning Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities and Gifted Education programmes under the Department of Special Education at the College of Education, Administrative and Technical Sciences, following their active participation in two international conferences recently held in the United Kingdom and Portugal.

A delegation from the Learning Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities programme took part in the Inclusive Education Conference held in London, where the students delivered research presentations addressing key topics in the field of special education. Among these were studies on “Differences in Working Memory Efficiency between Intellectually Gifted and Non-Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities” and “The Impact of Using Artificial Intelligence on the Independent Behaviour of Students with Learning Disabilities.” In addition, Dr Wid Hussain Dagestani, Associate Professor and Programme Coordinator, presented a paper entitled “Bullying Behaviour Directed Towards Autistic Students in Mainstream Schools”.

Meanwhile, a delegation from the Gifted Education programme participated in the 26th World Conference of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC 2025), hosted in the city of Braga, Portugal, with the participation of experts and researchers from 35 countries. The delegation was headed by Dr Ahmed Al Abbasi, Vice Dean of the College and Head of the Department of Special Education, and included a group of master’s and doctoral students who took part in interactive workshops and exchanged knowledge and experiences with their peers from around the world.

During the conference, Dr Ahmed Al Abbasi was honoured with the “Promising Scholar Award” in recognition of his distinguished scientific contributions to the field of gifted education. He also participated as a keynote speaker in one of the panel sessions, where he shared his experiences and research with an elite group of international experts.

During the meeting, the University President expressed his pride and appreciation for the academic and research excellence demonstrated by AGU students in both conferences. He commended the advanced scientific content delivered by the Learning Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities and Gifted Education programmes, which reflects the University’s commitment to leadership and excellence in the field of special education.

He affirmed that such participations represent a vital channel for developing students’ research and professional competencies while also strengthening AGU’s presence on the international academic stage. He further praised the distinguished role of the academic staff in supporting and empowering students to represent the University in an honourable manner.

For their part, the students and members of the delegations expressed their gratitude to the University’s administration for its continuous support, confirming that these participations provided them with valuable opportunities for learning, academic networking, and gaining insights into the latest global trends in special education, inclusive education and gifted education.

These participations come as part of the Arabian Gulf University’s ongoing efforts to enhance its standing as a leading educational institution in innovation and scientific research at both regional and international levels, and its commitment to empowering students to actively contribute to the development of their communities through research and knowledge.