This is an advertisement for KAUST Discovery, seemingly related to High Performance Computing (HPC). It mentions King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Why it matters: The ad suggests KAUST is investing in HPC, which is a critical infrastructure component for AI research and development.
This article discusses KAUST's efforts to build a high-performance computing (HPC) ecosystem. It mentions Jysoo Lee, director of the KAUST Supercomputing Core Lab, and Robert G. Voigt from the Krell Institute, both speakers at the HPC Saudi event held at KAUST. The article also acknowledges King Abdullah's role in establishing KAUST. Why it matters: HPC is crucial for advancing AI research and development in the region, and KAUST is playing a key role in fostering this ecosystem.
KAUST participated in the Supercomputing Conference (SC17) in Denver, Colorado, with faculty, staff, and students. The university's Shaheen 2 Cray XC40 System was ranked the 20th fastest globally and the fastest in the Middle East. KAUST's IT department hosted talks featuring David Keyes, Jack Dongarra, Thierry-Laurent, Mootaz Elnozahy, and Jason Roos. Why it matters: KAUST's strong presence at SC17 highlights its commitment to advancing supercomputing capabilities in the Middle East and fostering international collaboration.
A KAUST article highlights the role of supercomputers like Shaheen in enhancing industrial competitiveness. Jean Tachiji, Cray Manager in the Middle East, Steven Scott, Cray CTO, and Saber Feki from KAUST Supercomputing Core Laboratory are featured in front of Shaheen. Why it matters: This underscores the strategic importance of high-performance computing for research and development in the region.
KAUST is focused on optimizing scientific research through IT, including high-performance computing and supercomputing. KAUST's CIO, Jason Roos, emphasizes that IT at KAUST prioritizes research support, drawing from his experience in mission-critical IT in healthcare. KAUST houses Shaheen II, the fastest supercomputer in the Middle East, managed with state-of-the-art facilities. Why it matters: This focus enhances KAUST's research capabilities, providing resources on par with national labs and attracting top talent in science and technology to the region.
KAUST's Shaheen XC40 supercomputer was ranked as the seventh fastest globally on the TOP500 list in July 2015, achieving over 5.5 petaflops per second using nearly 200,000 processing cores. The system includes 17.6 petabytes of storage and 790 terabytes of memory, succeeding the previous Shaheen Blue Gene/P system. Saudi institutions like KFUPM, KSU, Saudi Aramco and SABIC leverage KAUST's supercomputing for research and development. Why it matters: This ranking highlights KAUST's commitment to providing high-performance computing resources in Saudi Arabia, supporting the nation's transition to a knowledge-based economy and advancing research across various sectors.
KAUST and Cerebras Systems collaborated on multi-dimensional seismic processing using the Condor Galaxy AI supercomputer, achieving record sustained memory bandwidth of 92.58 petabytes per second. They developed a Tile Low-Rank Matrix-Vector Multiplication (TLR-MVM) kernel to exploit the architecture of Cerebras CS-2 systems. This work was recognized as a finalist for the 2023 Gordon Bell Prize. Why it matters: This demonstrates the potential of AI-customized architectures for seismic processing, with broader implications for climate modeling and other scientific domains in the region and globally.
KAUST acquired the Shaheen-Cray XC40 supercomputer in 2015, which is 25 times faster than its predecessor, Shaheen I. The system arrived in Jeddah from Chicago in 123 crates and weighs around 109 metric tons. It consists of approximately 6,100 nodes, with each node containing 32 cores. Why it matters: This infrastructure upgrade significantly enhances KAUST's capacity for data-intensive scientific tasks like simulations and modeling, crucial for advancing research in areas such as climate and renewable energy.