Uwaidh Al-Harethi, executive VP at SABIC, spoke at KAUST's 2019 Winter Enrichment Program about the importance of innovation, noting that leading tech companies invest heavily to penetrate markets. He highlighted Samsung's patent filings and Amazon's innovation spending. Al-Harethi stated that SABIC makes three dollars for every one dollar spent on innovation, emphasizing its role in the chemical industry's success. Why it matters: The talk underscores the increasing focus on innovation and technology leadership within Saudi Arabia's key industries, particularly in leveraging AI for future technologies.
KAUST Ph.D. student Mousa Alharthi studies membrane desalination technologies and is also a cycling enthusiast. Alharthi translated Arabic language advertisements for cycling races in Jeddah for his English-speaking colleagues in the Red Sea Cyclists group. The Saudi Cycling Federation began holding amateur events in the Kingdom in 2017 to develop young Saudi talent and generate awareness about cycling. Why it matters: This highlights KAUST's role in supporting not only scientific research but also promoting sports and healthy lifestyles in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
Salem AlMarri, the first Emirati Ph.D. graduate from MBZUAI, developed a video anomaly detection (VAD) system for his thesis. The VAD system can detect subtle anomalies in video, such as suspicious interactions, to help police prevent crimes and save lives. AlMarri's work was carried out under the guidance of Karthik Nandakumar, Affiliated Associate Professor of Computer Vision at MBZUAI. Why it matters: This research showcases the potential of AI in enhancing public safety and security in the UAE, demonstrating practical applications of computer vision in law enforcement.
Todd Nims, a filmmaker born in Saudi Arabia, premiered his film "Joud" at KAUST's 2018 Winter Enrichment Program. The film, set in Saudi Arabia, explores the cycle of life in reverse and the meaning of "Joud" (generosity in the face of scarcity). Nims describes Saudi Arabia as a "magical place" due to its rich storytelling tradition. Why it matters: The article highlights KAUST's role in showcasing cultural works and supporting Saudi artists, though the AI relevance is limited.
Ahmad Alabdulghani, a KAUST master's student in Energy Resources and Petroleum Engineering, is studying fluid flow mechanisms in heterogeneous media under the supervision of Professor Hussein Hoteit. Alabdulghani is a member of the Advanced Reservoir Modeling and Simulation (ARMS) research group at ANPERC. He previously worked at Saudi Aramco's EXPEC Advanced Research Center and aims to pursue a doctorate at KAUST. Why it matters: This highlights KAUST's role in developing Saudi talent for the energy sector and fostering collaboration between academia and industry.
This article features H.E. Ali Al-Naimi, former Saudi Arabian oil minister, discussing his life and experiences at a 2017 KAUST Winter Enrichment Program. He reflects on his journey from a Bedouin upbringing to a prominent role in the Kingdom's oil industry. The article includes photographs from the event held at KAUST. Why it matters: Showcases the personal stories and insights of influential figures in Saudi Arabia's development, highlighting the intersection of traditional life and modern industry.
KAUST Ph.D. student Mohammed Aljahdali received the Best Paper award at the International Conference on Federated Learning Technologies and Applications (FLTA) 2025 for his research on federated learning. His paper, "Flashback: Understanding and Mitigating Forgetting in Federated Learning," introduces an algorithm to help AI systems retain knowledge across diverse datasets while preserving privacy. Aljahdali's research, supervised by Professor Marco Canini, focuses on training machine learning models directly on user devices. Why it matters: This award recognizes the growing talent and impactful research emerging from Saudi universities in the field of privacy-preserving AI.
KAUST and THIQAH, a technology company specializing in regulation technology and digital products, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on November 13, 2023. The partnership aims to foster innovation in the digital landscape through collaborative research and development of data applications and AI. The collaboration aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, focusing on digital technologies to develop innovative products and solutions while also developing human skills. Why it matters: This partnership between a leading Saudi university and a technology company signals a push towards local innovation in digital solutions and AI, potentially creating new opportunities and advancing Saudi Arabia's technological capabilities.