RESHAPING PERCEPTIONS OF SAUDI ARABIA

In partnership with Gateway KSA, KAUST is doing its part to dispel misconceptions about the Kingdom

KAUST is working with tour operator Gateway KSA to bridge cultural barriers and reshape global perceptions of Saudi Arabia. In March 2023, KAUST welcomed two Gateway KSA tour groups to its campus to showcase Saudi culture, research opportunities, and the Master’s and PhD courses offered by the university.

Gateway KSA provides future leaders a unique chance to engage with Saudi Arabia. Exceptional students have the opportunity to embark on a personal learning journey, connect with global peers, and forge friendships and contacts within the Kingdom and explore one of the most rapidly changing countries in the world. The tour includes stops in Dammam, Riyadh, Al Ula and Jeddah, the last of which is home to KAUST’s research facilities.

Exceptional professionals can take part in the program as well. For example, 13 of the Washington, D.C.-based Middle East Policy Council’s 40 Under 40 Award winners visited

Prince Turki Al Faisal

the KAUST campus with the tour in March 2023. The organization recognized the recipients for their contributions to shaping present and future U.S.-Middle Eastern relations.

Gateway KSA launched in early 2018 after Nelleke Van Zandvoort-Quispel, CEO of Gateway KSA, proposed the initiative to HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal as a way of countering misconceptions about the Middle East. Since

“KAUST is a vital stop on Gateway KSA tours, showcasing the Kingdom’s innovation and high-quality education. Together with the university, we are helping global influencers, policymakers and future leaders see the true, vibrant nature of our country and its awesome potential.”

HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal, Chairman, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies then, KAUST has been a vital stop on the tours, showcasing the Kingdom’s scientific progress and the role of the university’s research in the Vision 2030 economic plan. KAUST has welcomed 180 student delegates from 32 countries affiliated with 51 universities and institutions. A further four groups with 10 to 15 students each are expected later in 2023.

For many participants, KAUST stands out as the most memorable part of the tour. According to Zandvoort-Quispel, the organization plans to offer opportunities for students to study, intern and work in Saudi Arabia, with the tour operator acting as a facilitator for ambitious individuals seeking research opportunities at KAUST.

In December 2022, the MIT Technology Review announced the winners of the fifth edition of its Innovators Under 35 MENA awards. Through the awards, the magazine aims to honor leading innovators with outstanding technical skills who have developed inventions or research that will improve our way of living. Four of the 15 winners are part of the KAUST community, demonstrating the university’s leading role in research and innovation.

Wedyan

Nanotechnology and Materials Innovator

Wedyan Babatain graduated from KAUST with a PhD in Electrical Engineering in 2022 and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab. She is from Saudi Arabia. She was selected for developing a soft, multi-functional wearable platform using graphene and liquid metal-based electronics. Her product can wirelessly monitor movement patterns, temperature, humidity, respiration and other health indicators.

Mit Technology Review

“A global community of innovators, selected by the MIT Technology Review, is changing the future of science and technology.”

MIT Technology Review

Biotechnology and Medicine Innovator

Asmaa Abdallah is a postdoctoral fellow in KAUST’s Communication and Computing Systems Lab and is from Lebanon. She was selected for her pioneering novel machine-learning methods, which can significantly impact emerging wireless systems. This innovation could help reduce costs for the expansion of network coverage in areas with connectivity difficulties, which will support the future rollout of 6G wireless systems.

“As one of a handful of women in my domain, I hope that my efforts will be inspiring enough to motivate and encourage more talented young women to join in, connect the unconnected and make their own unique mark.”

ASMAA ABDALLAH Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Asma Al-Amoodi is a PhD candidate in Bioscience and Molecular Biology at KAUST and comes from Saudi Arabia. Her research focuses on hematopoietic stem cell migration and adhesion, using mouse models and primitive human cells isolated from cord blood provided by the Saudi Cord Blood Bank. She was selected for using these stem cells to treat blood diseases such as leukemia. Her research has helped to advance knowledge in medical and biological sciences and could help prevent the recurrence of leukemia in humans.

Nanotechnology and Materials Innovator

Jehad El Demellawi is a scientist at the Aramco Research Center at KAUST and comes from Egypt. He was selected for his work developing new nanomaterials for an array of real-life applications, including improving the performance of solar cells. These breakthroughs are expected to help solar technology advance at an industrial scale.