Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 22 Oct 07/PRNewswire/
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, today hosted a gathering of more than 1,500 dignitaries from around the world to officially break ground for a new world-class, graduate-level science and technology university on Saudi soil.
With one of the largest university endowments in the world, a program to recruit top-flight faculty and students from across the globe and collaborations already underway with prestigious research institutions across several continents, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is positioned to become a leading center of scientific discovery and human advancement within the Kingdom, across the region and around the globe. Construction of the facility on the shores of the Red Sea has begun, and the University is expected to open for operation in September 2009.
KAUST was the brainchild of King Abdullah, who has inspired and overseen a heightened investment in education and the economy in recent years in the Kingdom. King Abdullah selected His Excellency Minister Ali Ibrahim Al-Naimi to lead the development of KAUST.
KAUST is the decades-long vision of His Majesty King Abdullah to build a world-class University in Saudi Arabia dedicated to convening the best minds for the purpose of unlocking the great mysteries of science and technology for the progress of all humanity," His Excellency the Oil Minister said. "And indeed, that vision is now becoming a reality."
KAUST Interim President Nadhmi Al-Nasr further emphasized that while the University will be physically grounded in Saudi Arabia and serve the Saudi people, it will be an international institution as well.
"KAUST will collaborate with the best institutions and convene the most talented scientists from around the globe to enable discovery that will help all humanity," Al-Nasr, said. "It will also deepen and diversify Saudi Arabia's knowledge-based economy."
For more information about KAUST, visit http://www.kaust.edu.sa/. Photo: NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071022/AQM021 AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ AP PhotoExpress Network:
PRN12 PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
CONTACT: KAUST Saudi Arabia, Jamil Al-Dandany, + 966-50-480-3736, jamil.dandany@kaust.edu.sa, or
KAUST United States, Jeff Weintraub, +1-202- 828-8836, media@kaust.edu.sa, or KAUST U.K. and Europe, David Hart, +44-(0) 20-7395-7131,media@kaust.edu.sa Web site: http://www.kaust.edu.sa/
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