The 2017 World Science Forum opened its doors to roughly 3,000 experts, policy makers, world leaders and a few Nobel Laureates today. It's the first time that the forum, the largest gathering of scientists, has come to the Middle East and we at al Roya News English think this is a pretty special moment for Jordan and the region.

So here are a few highlights from the first day of what's been billed as the "Davos of Science".

Princess Sumaya, chair of the World Science Forum, welcomed guests during the opening ceremony:

King Abdullah II, flanked here by Hungarian President János Áder (L) and Prince Hassan bin Talal (R), watches the ceremony:

(Twitter)

The King, who is the offical patron of 2017 WSF, later tweeted his support for the event: 

There was a message from the heavens when the International Space Station beamed in to say hello:

And Jordan's first humanoid robot was unveiled:

We'll be covering the 2017 World Science Forum all week so check back for updates.