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[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0e/Logo-kaust.png

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) (Arabic: جامعة الملك عبد الله للعلوم و التكنولوجيا‎) is a research institution which is expected to be completed in 2009. The aim of the University is to promote research and science achievement in Saudi Arabia and around the globe.

KAUST is scheduled to open with a $10 billion endowment.[1]
Contents [hide]
1 General information
2 Campus
3 Presidential search
4 Degrees
5 Notes
6 External links
7 Further reading
General information

The location of the KAUST is in the west coast near the city of Jeddah. According to the University's website, the university will start on September 2009 with 250/350 students pursuing Masters and Ph.D degrees. King Abdullah has bestowed an endowment of 23 billion dollars on the university and commissioned Saudi Aramco, the Saudi-owned oil company to design and build the university's campus and curriculum.[2] At maturity, the total KAUST community will number approximately 20,000 people
[edit]Campus

Under construction, the campus site is in a coastal location near the fishing village of Thuwal, 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Jeddah. The total area is more than 36 million square meters (nearly 9,000 acres), including a coral-reef ecosystem that will be preserved by the University as a marine sanctuary, and will be a focus for research. Architectural firm HOK planned and designed the campus. Shen Milsom Wilke and JaffeHolden Acoustics, Inc. were the acoustical consultants on the campus and main auditorium respectively.


As of 13 January 2008, Professor Shih Choon Fong has been named the Founding President of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Prof. Shih is the current president of National University of Singapore and will be leaving NUS at the end of 2008.
Degrees

It is anticipated that the university will open with six fields of studies:
Chemical Engineering
Applied Mathematics and Computer Science
Mechanical Engineering
Materials Science and Engineering
Computational Earth Science and Engineering
Biosciences and Bioengineering
It is expected to add:
Electrical Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering














http://i14.tinypic.com/6bm8q55.jpg

http://i18.tinypic.com/4vogup2.jpg

http://i13.tinypic.com/66eptlz.jpg

http://i1.tinypic.com/54l0cp5.jpg

http://i11.tinypic.com/4p9wi75.jpg

http://i19.tinypic.com/628hxf9.jpg

the master plan
http://i15.tinypic.com/4mwe829.jpg

there are dozens of pictures&info don't miss it
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/


costruction

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0bLZ6cFgte4pg/610x.jpg


MORE TO COME

progress on this project:

July-August 2008

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/julyAug_04_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/julyAug_06_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/julyAug_02_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/julyAug_11_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/julyAug_10_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/julyAug_08_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/julyAug_09_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/julyAug_13_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/julyAug_12_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/julyAug_16_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/julyAug_19_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/julyAug_14_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/julyAug_17_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/julyAug_18_large.jpg

November 2008

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Nov_10_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Nov_03_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Nov_06_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Nov_02_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Nov_08_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Nov_04_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Nov_07_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Nov_05_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Nov_09_large.jpg

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Nov_11_large.jpg

Board of Trustees

The KAUST Board of Trustees comprises international leaders in global academia, science, finance, industry, and public life.

In accordance with the University’s by-laws, the 20-member Board will be fully independent to exercise all powers granted to it. The Board will be responsible for approving rules regulating the academic, financial and administrative affairs of the University, and for providing all support needed to enable the University’s officers to manage the University.

Members will meet at least three times a year to oversee the University’s activities and monitor its progress and development. Other statutory functions of the Board include the appointment of the University’s officers, certain senior administrative officers and faculty, as well as the oversight of its assets, including the University’s campus and community real estate and facilities.

The current members of the KAUST Board of Trustees are:

His Excellency Minister Ali Ibrahim Al-Naimi
Chairman, KAUST Board of Trustees and Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

His Royal Highness Prince Mansour bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Muhamed Ali
President, Islamic Development Bank

Mr. John J. Brennan
Chairman, Vanguard Group

Mr. Khalid Al-Falih
Executive Vice President of Operations, Saudi Aramco

Mr. Andrew Gould
Chairman and CEO, Schlumberger Limited

Professor Rolf-Dieter Heuer
Director General Designate, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)

Mr. Mohammed Abdullatif Jameel
President, Abdullatif Jameel Group

Ms. Lubna S. Olayan
Chief Executive Officer and Chair, Olayan Financing Group

His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah
Chief Executive Officer, National Guard Health Affairs
President, King Saud University for Health Services

Professor Frank H.T. Rhodes
President Emeritus, Cornell University

Mrs. Mary Robinson
President, Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative
Former President of Ireland

Professor Choon Fong Shih
President, KAUST

His Excellency Dr. Khalid Al-Sultan
Rector, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

Dr. Shirley M. Tilghman
President, Princeton University

Dr. Tony Tan
Chairman, National Research Foundation of Singapore

Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni
Former Director, National Institutes of Health of the United States

Professor Jie Zhang
President, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

more renders:
Indoor Campus
http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/149/kausteu5.jpg

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/2999/kaust1nk0.jpg

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/4163/kaust2sn0.jpg

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/9905/kaust3rw2.jpg

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/9427/kaust4og9.jpg

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/3832/kaust5la9.jpg

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/2739/kaust6bd3.jpg

Lecture Hall
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/6582/kaustlecturehallni2.jpg

Class room
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/5024/renderinginterior2learnup8.jpg

Students Center
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/3192/studentcenteronelargepc1.jpg

Outdoor
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/5739/mc103largesm1.jpg

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/8453/mc104largezy9.jpg

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/2530/pov2largeaj0.jpg

http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/7507/pov4dusklargepd1.jpg

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/8295/pov7largeqw3.jpg

http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/8605/pov10largeqe3.jpg

what do you guys think??

Great project

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3372/3278253258_58f9327cbe_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3414/3278472476_ef60e011b6_b.jpg

by Basti_Emmanuel (http://www.flickr.com/photos/11313002@N04/)

Construction images DEC 2008
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/canaljan_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Nov_09_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_03_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_05_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_04_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_06_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_07_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_08_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_09_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_10_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_11_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_13_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_12_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_14_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_15_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_16_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_17_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_18_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_19_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_nov_20_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Zone%20C%20bldg%201450_large.jpg
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/images/photos/Construction_feb_1_large.jpg

KAUST is scheduled to open with a $10 billion endowment???

yes

wow

How many students are estimated to enroll?

According to the University's website, the university will open in September 2009 with around 500 graduate students. At maturity, the total KAUST community will number approximately 20,000 people.

more construction photo's from FEB and March:

by jwatatkaust:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3609/3315305525_d488a06b30.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3342/3315303139_180383d759.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3316129644_f1e538a7e1.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3550/3316126388_3dfa2fa089.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3327/3316121136_588f870bb9.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3343/3316120368_c3e55d140b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3599/3316119770_f0e8d6e9e9.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3630/3316115146_aa2437d09b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3316113904_a2590e5948.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3528/3315286131_35e373cb76.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3526/3315278725_2c6d156861.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3010/3315275893_ded9b7d422.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3571/3315253519_9fdbffce4a.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3622/3316079740_be6d5daf5f.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3462/3316078896_d52c1d4de5.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3486/3315251385_f796768dbb.jpg

by tabrezpearl:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3586/3343635085_98646f6b51.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3618/3344467868_5fddcccf34.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3636/3344465086_960225794f.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3308/3343619271_440e82d45e.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3646/3344434214_2f77c29ac2.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/3344420110_5af84d8df8.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3616/3344420102_8803b4a5dd.jpg


by agabrentina:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3127/3094559849_b4b094214c.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/3094559497_4c00a600ab.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3067/3095400154_437bcfcd2f.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3144/3095399806_084d64d3e4.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3125/3095399514_e00639f4e0.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3218/3095399284_7d4f8a5e4a.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3246/3095395994_6475e932ce.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3186/3094555371_c46371fc79.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3136/3094555707_429a3125cd.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3239/3094554193_476851b432.jpg

The renders look great, and it's nice to see the progression. :)
Maybe a dumb question, but how does it work in Saudi Arabia: can only Arabian people study at universities like these, or is everyone welcome?

anyone who has the talent,and wants to add something to the world..is more than welcome.and everyone in Saudi is going to help him/her to achieve his/her goal :)

just stunning.

nice to see KAUST with stable progress without delayed :) Just model project for such a good progress ...

Campus Artworks
http://marestart.com/10-artists/map10.jpg


http://marestart.com/10-artists/un02.jpg
UN02: ENTRY SPINE NORTH
Carslen Hoiler | Belgium, Europe


http://marestart.com/10-artists/un03.jpg
UN03: RESEARCH LAB (Ground)
Oliver Van der Berg | Belgium, Europe


http://marestart.com/10-artists/un07.jpg
UN07: COURTYARD NORTH
Simon Nelson | Australia, Oceanic

http://marestart.com/10-artists/un08.jpg
UN08: CAMPUS MOSQUE POOL
Nja Mahdaoul | Tunisia, Middle east

http://marestart.com/10-artists/un09.jpg
UN09: PAVILION
Erwin Redl | USA, Americas

http://marestart.com/10-artists/un10.jpg
UN10: LIBRARY FORECOURT A
Richard Deacon | United Kingdom, Europe


http://marestart.com/10-artists/un11.jpg
UN11: LIBRARY FORECOURT B
Halim Al-Karim | Iraq, Middleast


http://marestart.com/10-artists/un14.jpg
UN14: SEACOURT PLAZA
Sopheap Pich | Cambodia, Asia


http://marestart.com/10-artists/un16.jpg
UN16: RESEARCH LAB (Suspended)
Inigo Manglano | USA, Americas


http://marestart.com/10-artists/un17.jpg
UN17: COURTYARD SOUTH
Shigeo Toya | Japan

Commercial Center Artworks
http://marestart.com/8-artists/map8.jpg


http://marestart.com/8-artists/cc02.jpg
CC02: KAUST SQUARE
Susan Hefuna | Egypt, Middle East


http://marestart.com/8-artists/cc04.jpg
CC04: LIBRARY SQUARE
Tobias Rehberger | Germany, Europe


http://marestart.com/8-artists/cc06.jpg
CC06: URBAN BEACH 1
Subodh Kerkar | India, Asia


http://marestart.com/8-artists/cc07.jpg
CC07: HARBOUR SQUARE
Jason Bruges | United Kingdom, Europe


http://marestart.com/8-artists/cc08.jpg
CC08: SEACOURT LINK
Donna Marcus | Australia, Oceanic


http://marestart.com/8-artists/cc09.jpg
CC09: LOOKOUT (URBAN)
Jorge Pardo | USA, Americas


http://marestart.com/8-artists/cc10.jpg
CC10: URBAN BEACH 2
Rana Begum | Bangladesh, Asia


http://marestart.com/8-artists/cc12.jpg
CC12: YACHT CLUB EXTERIOR
Dennis Nona | Torres Strait, Oceani

Source [there's another three artworks there] : http://marestart.com/app2.aspx

Wow ! Fantastic building !

:omg:this project!! :applause:

from the Saudi forum:
KAUST Construction updates

January 2009:

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/709/image30landscapingentra.jpg (http://img8.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image30landscapingentra.jpg)

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/2237/image14mainentranceland.jpg (http://img3.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image14mainentranceland.jpg)

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/2153/image2interiorlarge1512.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image2interiorlarge1512.jpg)

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9377/image4passageslarge1516.jpg (http://img4.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image4passageslarge1516.jpg)

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/921/image6northwestviewlarg.jpg (http://img207.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image6northwestviewlarg.jpg)

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/6451/image8southelevationlar.jpg (http://img8.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image8southelevationlar.jpg)

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/470/image12southwestviewlar.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image12southwestviewlar.jpg)

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/3420/image13southeastviewlar.jpg (http://img5.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image13southeastviewlar.jpg)

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3152/image15internalpassagel.jpg (http://img207.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image15internalpassagel.jpg)

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/1489/image19southwestpanview.jpg (http://img3.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image19southwestpanview.jpg)

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/6835/image20westpanviewlargex.jpg (http://img256.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image20westpanviewlargex.jpg)

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/5020/image22southelevationla.jpg (http://img10.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image22southelevationla.jpg)

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/2043/image25labinstalllarge.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image25labinstalllarge.jpg)

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/6060/image27solartowerlarge1.jpg (http://img5.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image27solartowerlarge1.jpg)

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9512/image28southviewlarge16.jpg (http://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image28southviewlarge16.jpg)


February 2009:

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/168/image1plazalevellarge06.jpg (http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image1plazalevellarge06.jpg)

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4967/image3sesidelarge067219.jpg (http://img528.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image3sesidelarge067219.jpg)

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/6595/image9plazaviewlarge067.jpg (http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image9plazaviewlarge067.jpg)

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/1755/image10southwestgreenho.jpg (http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image10southwestgreenho.jpg)

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/3127/image13mainentrancelarg.jpg (http://img528.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image13mainentrancelarg.jpg)

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/4496/image17eastelevationlar.jpg (http://img410.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image17eastelevationlar.jpg)

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/7297/image18courtyardwestvie.jpg (http://img528.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image18courtyardwestvie.jpg)

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/6986/image24eastpanoramiclar.jpg (http://img509.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image24eastpanoramiclar.jpg)

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/2853/image20westelevationlar.jpg (http://img520.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image20westelevationlar.jpg)

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/6900/image19northeastsidelar.jpg (http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image19northeastsidelar.jpg)

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/2184/image12southelevationla.jpg (http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image12southelevationla.jpg)

KAUST all set to open doors
Saudi Gazette report 11 June 2009

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/myfiles/Images/2009/06/11/fp01-big.jpg

http://www.aleqt.com//a/small/6f/6f4f45229ae423169047e4a52f2d5f86_w250_h180.jpg

THUWAL – King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, paid an inspection visit to the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) project here Wednesday.
The King saw aerial photographs of the site before the commencement of the university construction as well as photographs taken two weeks before his visit, showing completion of the campus and most of the residential buildings.
Khalid Al-Faleh, President of Saudi Aramco, briefed the Monarch on the progress of the project. The first academic year of the university will start on September 5 this year with 400 students and 75 to 80 faculty members. These include scientists selected from renowned international universities and institutes, Al-Faleh informed the King.
The university will start with 10 scientific specializations and 10 research centers. The number of university employees will be complete by the first academic day.
Spread on an area of 700,000 sq. meters, the campus includes buildings for engineering and science faculty, as well as that for applied mathematics. It also has a library and a lecture hall for 1000 people, the King was informed.
In addition, there are four giant buildings allocated for specialist research centers. They are covered with solar cells. The campus also has King Abdullah Grand Mosque that can accommodate 1,500 worshippers and four other mosques. There are 3,500 housing units.
Those working on the project listened to the directives of the King to double their efforts to achieve the aspired goals for establishing the university.
The King and the accompanying officials toured King Abdullah Grand Mosque. King Abdullah saw the water canal passing next to the grand mosque.
The Monarch then toured the university’s facilities by bus as well as the venue being readied for the university’s inauguration. The university’s official inauguration will take place during the Kingdom’s 79th National Day anniversary celebrations.
King Abdullah was accompanied by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Prince Meqrin Bin Abdul Aziz, Chief of General Intelligence and other princes.


Source: Saudi Gazette (http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009061140513)

more photos for the visit from Al-eqtisadiyyah (http://www.aleqt.com/2009/06/10/article_238804.html)

http://www.aleqt.com/a/238804_38277.jpg

http://www.aleqt.com/a/238804_38281.jpg

http://www.aleqt.com/a/238804_38280.jpg

http://www.aleqt.com/a/238804_38282.jpg

http://www.aleqt.com/a/238804_38283.jpg

http://www.aleqt.com/a/238804_38284.jpg

recent photo from KAUST

from SSSC:

KAUST all set to open doors

THUWAL – King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, paid an inspection visit to the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) project here Wednesday.
The King saw aerial photographs of the site before the commencement of the university construction as well as photographs taken two weeks before his visit, showing completion of the campus and most of the residential buildings.
Khalid Al-Faleh, President of Saudi Aramco, briefed the Monarch on the progress of the project. The first academic year of the university will start on September 5 this year with 400 students and 75 to 80 faculty members. These include scientists selected from renowned international universities and institutes, Al-Faleh informed the King.
The university will start with 10 scientific specializations and 10 research centers. The number of university employees will be complete by the first academic day.
Spread on an area of 700,000 sq. meters, the campus includes buildings for engineering and science faculty, as well as that for applied mathematics. It also has a library and a lecture hall for 1000 people, the King was informed.
In addition, there are four giant buildings allocated for specialist research centers. They are covered with solar cells. The campus also has King Abdullah Grand Mosque that can accommodate 1,500 worshippers and four other mosques. There are 3,500 housing units.
Those working on the project listened to the directives of the King to double their efforts to achieve the aspired goals for establishing the university.
The King and the accompanying officials toured King Abdullah Grand Mosque. King Abdullah saw the water canal passing next to the grand mosque.
The Monarch then toured the university’s facilities by bus as well as the venue being readied for the university’s inauguration. The university’s official inauguration will take place during the Kingdom’s 79th National Day anniversary celebrations.
King Abdullah was accompanied by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Prince Meqrin Bin Abdul Aziz, Chief of General Intelligence and other princes.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009061140513


http://www.alriyadh.com/2009/06/11/img/120621.jpg

http://www.alriyadh.com/2009/06/11/img/120613.jpg

http://www.alriyadh.com/2009/06/11/img/120615.jpg

http://www.alriyadh.com/2009/06/11/img/120616.jpg

http://www.alriyadh.com/2009/06/11/img/120617.jpg

http://www.alriyadh.com/2009/06/11/img/120619.jpg

stunning progress on the site!!!

Rody , wait till you see this :nuts: :

May 28th & 29th 2009
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And for more CLICK HERE (http://www.photo-pcp.com/galeries/Kaust4/) ( over 160 new pic ) :banana:

photos from KAUST
29.05.2009

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June 23-24 2009

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for more : http://www.photo-pcp.com/galeries/kaust5/

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New update : http://www.photo-pcp.com/galeries/kaust6/


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............

Student housing :

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Amazing, it is a perfect way of growth, the knowledge does not know the crisis

cool buildings... amazing :cool:

update!!
Today is the big day for this University & research center

photos and videos from KAUST (September 2009)

really cool tour ( NEW )
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SOME Pic , I took it FROM FaceBook . :)

http://www8.0zz0.com/2009/09/16/14/783612475.jpg (http://www.0zz0.com)


http://www8.0zz0.com/2009/09/16/14/964011991.jpg (http://www.0zz0.com)


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http://www.facebook.com/KAUSTFans

more photos from KAUST:

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students apartments

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source :http://www.benfrevert.org/images/?p=gallery

amazing stuff from KAUST!!
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from the press today:


KAUST: History in the making
Siraj Wahab | Arab News



Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah is being briefed by officials on the facilities at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Thuwal during an inspection tour on Tuesday. (SPA)


THUWAL, Jeddah: After years of meticulous planning and sourcing some of the best scientific minds in the world, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) will be a dream made real.

On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah is scheduled to inaugurate a research university that has caught the imagination of the world scientific community and has raised huge expectations among Saudis.

KAUST promises to usher in a new era of scientific investigation, discovery and education in the Kingdom. In the gleaming towers and immaculate laboratory and library blocks nestled in what just a few years ago was raw desert, some of the finest scientists and researchers will work alongside talented research students from Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world.

At the inauguration, King Abdullah will play host to heads of state, global business leaders, Nobel laureates and some of the world's most celebrated academics who have been invited to the ceremony here at Thuwal, 80 km north of Jeddah.

The king on Tuesday visited the university in order to see for himself the preparations for Wednesday's inauguration. About 3,000 dignitaries including heads of state and scientists will attend the opening. Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Malaysia’s King Tuanku Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, Sudanese President Omar Bashir, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdul Aziz have already arrived for the inauguration.

During the inspection tour of the university, King Abdullah was accompanied by Prince Muqrin, chief of intelligence, Prince Faisal bin Abdullah bin Muhammad, minister of education, Prince Khaled bin Abdullah, a member of the university's Board of Trustees, other princes and top officials.

Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali Al-Naimi, who is also chairman of the university's Board of Trustees, briefed the king on the progress of work at the campus. Studies started at the university on Sept. 5 after the completion of building classrooms. King Abdullah later visited an exhibition being staged on the occasion. The king was also briefed on the opening ceremony.

The graduate-level university, King Abdullah’s brainchild, opened its doors on Sept. 5 to the 400 students who have been admitted from 60 countries around the world to engage in postgraduate studies in engineering. Seventy faculty members are in place to teach them. The students and faculty at KAUST were carefully selected to help achieve the university’s goals.

“We have set our sights on reaching the brightest students, brimming with potential, from around the world, ready to learn from their mentors and from one another, ripe to begin making a contribution to the progress of humanity,” said Al-Naimi.

Some of the faculty members spoke to a large group of international journalists who were taken on a tour of the sprawling campus on Tuesday. The center of attraction for many was Shaheen, the fastest supercomputer in the Middle East and one of the 14 most powerful in the world.

“Developed with IBM, it is capable of 222 teraflops, or solving 222 trillion complicated calculations per second,” Richard Orme, head of KAUST’s Center for Deep Computing Research, told the visiting journalists.

According to Orme, Shaheen is the second-fastest computer outside of Europe and the fastest in all of Asia.

“One of the most powerful supercomputers in an academic environment, the system instantly makes KAUST a key player in the field of computational science,” he told reporters. “Shaheen will facilitate across dozens of disciplines in carrying out cutting-edge experiments, joint research collaborations with KAUST’s research partners located all over the world and further the development of a knowledge-based society in Saudi Arabia.”

Al-Naimi said Shaheen “gives the Middle East its first bona fide locally owned and operated supercomputer.”

“Hopefully the influence of that in promoting a culture of computational science and engineering will go far beyond KAUST because a computer is one experimental facility that can be shared easily across a high-speed network,” he added.

These partnerships with the private sector are also part of KAUST’s commitment to economic development and diversification in the Kingdom.

“In Saudi Arabia we need to diversify the base of our economy from dependence on a single commodity,” said Nadhmi A. Al-Nasr, interim executive vice president of administration and finance. “A knowledge-based economy is the future of the Kingdom.”

The inauguration ceremony will be broadcast live as a webcast on the KAUST inauguration website (http://inauguration.kaust.edu.sa/).

source (http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=126679&d=23&m=9&y=2009)
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Beginning of a new boom
Khaled Almaeena | Editor in Chief


Today Saudis have two reasons to celebrate. The first is because of National Day, a day to commemorate the unification and establishment of Saudi Arabia. A vast tract of land, in which brigands and highwaymen preyed upon the unsuspecting traveler, where loyalty was only to the leader of the tribe, was unified by the vision and determination of one man: Abdul Aziz Al-Saud. He braved elements, geography and hostile forces to build a country called Saudi Arabia. In a European context he was a Cavour, a Bismarck. But history reveals that he encountered — and overcame — more challenges than they did.

The second cause for celebration is the inauguration of the King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST) — a project Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has dreamed about for the last 25 years.

King Abdullah is a man of few words; he says what he means and means what he says. And his words have now been transformed into a university with great scientific objectives that will serve humanity far beyond Saudi Arabia’s borders.

King Abdullah has always stressed education as the driving force for development and progress. When fully operational, KAUST will help make knowledge, after oil and industry, the country’s third vital driving force.

In a changing world with new and, at times, deadly challenges, it is vital that the Kingdom keep up with others in science and technology. It also has to make good use of its human resources if it is not to be dependent on others. A country’s self-reliance begins with its human resources.

It is important that we be leaders in technology rather than constant consumers. In the long term it is what will ensure our survival.

The problems in the country are many. The environment, the lack of water resources, issues pertaining to health and social development. They all depend on trained minds that can come up with answers to the questions they raise. King Abdullah has paved the way to the answers by creating this great university in an area where only a few years ago there were only a handful coastal villages.

King Abdullah’s vision is that of a nation on the march. Every Saudi should realize that we are called to be visionaries and progressives. We need to be travelers on the road of life and not merely spectators. For this we have to evaluate ourselves, both as individuals and as members of a larger society.

What is our present condition? How are we performing? What have we contributed to our country? It is easy to utter glowing words, to please those with authority, to accommodate, but that is self-deception. What we need are men and women who can stand tall, articulate their views forthrightly and participate in nationbuilding.

Unfortunately there exist sloth and complacency, but they should be shunned. Our young should be prepared for the future by being provided with values emanating from our own Islamic tradition that directs them to embrace the world with tolerance and to accept others. We have to re-establish a society in which extremist ideologies neither exist nor are secretly admired or supported from afar.

Ours should be a society in which a meritocracy prevails, where men and women work to contribute to the progress of the country and the family of nations.

Ours should also be a society of role models in all fields with a special emphasis on the family, the anchor of young people’s hopes and goals.

The media have a role in all this by focusing on issues concerning all, by reporting the truth, by exposing irregularities, by being accurate and by not indulging in sensationalism. The media are an important element in any society, and it is vital that media play its part with responsibility and act as a source of convergence rather than divergence.

Thanks to oil, this country has seen not one but two economic booms. We hope today will mark the beginning of a new boom; a knowledge boom that will be the foundation of an advanced, highly skilled, high-tech society in which honest and hard-working men and women live in freedom and dignity as partners and citizens.

Such a society will be one that cares for the less fortunate and contributes not only to the well-being of those within its borders but also to others far beyond them.

source (http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7&section=0&article=126681&d=23&m=9&y=2009)
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KAUST research to focus on solar energy: Al-Naimi
Asma Alsharif | Reuters


JEDDAH: Research at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) may help Saudi Arabia develop solar energy to provide for a significant portion of the Kingdom’s power needs, Saudi Minister for Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi said on Tuesday.

It aims to make solar a major contributor to energy supply in the next 5-10 years, he added.

“Saudi Arabia aspires to export as much solar energy in the future as it exports oil now,” Al-Naimi said.

Apart from cleaning up domestic fuels to reduce emissions, the Kingdom is also looking at carbon capture and sequestration, Al-Naimi said. KAUST would also eventually carry out research into algae for storing CO2 emissions, he added.

Al-Naimi said the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) does not need to cut output next year, according to the latest oil supply and demand estimates. Demand for Saudi crude is increasing, and this is evidence the world economy is recovering from recession, Al-Naimi said in an interview to Reuters.

“No, based on the current (demand and supply estimates), there is no need of course, right now,” Al-Naimi said.

“But you never know, this is a moving target, it is a very active market. The world economy seems to be recovering. I hope it will recover fast and therefore it will impact demand. If demand rises of course supply has to match it... Demand for our oil is rising, and so we are — at least I am — convinced that economic growth has started and will continue.”

Global oil inventories are above the five-year average in defiance of OPEC output curbs that have aimed to match supply with a fall in demand following the economic downturn.

Some oil market observers have said the producer group, which pumps more than a third of the world’s oil, would have to cut output again next year to balance the market.

OPEC pledged to cut output by 4.2 million barrels per day (bpd) last year, and the curbs have helped the oil price recover to around $70 from a low of $32.40 in December.

At its most recent meeting earlier this month, the OPEC agreed to leave output unchanged and Al-Naimi brushed off concerns about high inventories, saying economic growth was driving the oil price. Oil at between $70-$80 a barrel would bring investment in new energy supplies and prevent a future supply crunch, Al-Naimi said. The Kingdom has targeted around $75 as a fair price for both consumers and producers.

“As long as the prices are where they are, like $70 to $80, I think investments will continue... and with so much spare capacity available in the world now we foresee no shortages in the future,” he said. Al-Naimi reiterated that Saudi Arabia was pumping around 8 million bpd of oil and its output capacity was 12.5 million bpd.

Saudi Arabia has no plans for now to develop more capacity after completing the boost to 12.5 million bpd this year, Al-Naimi said.

“Let us see what happens to worldwide demand and if we see significant growth, we have a policy of maintaining between 1.5 to 2 million bpd spare capacity all the time... So we are not thinking today about future expansion but you know, you have to spend a lot of money to stay where you are.”

source (http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=126682&d=23&m=9&y=2009)
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National Day | KAUST Supplement: King’s vision becomes a reality
Siraj Wahab I Arab News



Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, accompanied by top officials, inspects development work on the KAUST campus on June 10, 2009. (SPA)


Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has been a passionate voice for education reform for years, realizing that the challenges of the future will need innovative solutions from the world's best minds.

Minds are shaped by society and culture, but the quality of education determines who will excel and who will fall behind in the global march for progress. The king has promoted educational reform throughout the entire Saudi system, from kindergarten to graduate school.

Initiatives include important changes in curriculum, better training for teachers and greater resources for them to employ, ensuring that high-school graduates possess the skills needed to join the work force or to continue on to college or university and that the Kingdom has graduate schools second to none.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is the capstone of these reforms. Thanks to the efforts of Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi and an extensive team of Saudi Aramco engineers, researchers, and some of the world's leading academicians, KAUST is more than a vision.

“As a new house of wisdom, the university shall be a beacon for peace, hope, and reconciliation and shall serve the people of the Kingdom and benefit all the peoples of the world in keeping with the teachings of the Holy Qur'an, which explains that God created mankind in order for us to come to know each other,” King Abdullah said in his remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony.

He said KAUST would be an institution that would help shape the future of the nation and higher education around the globe. “In its design, construction and operations the university will conserve natural resources and demonstrate by precept and example the value of responsible environmental stewardship. Since universities striving for excellence depend on an atmosphere of exploration and initiative, nurturing and protecting freedom of research, thought and discourse related to scholarly work will be among the primary objectives of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology,” said King Abdullah.

“Our intention is to create an enduring model for advanced education and scientific research. A complete residential and academic compound will permit the faculty, staff, students, associates and their families to enjoy a rich and broad range of educational programs and social amenities. In providing a strong foundation for all aspects of life and work in the university, we aim to ensure its success in promoting the economic development and social prosperity of the people of the Kingdom and of the world.”

Indeed, King Abdullah's vision in launching KAUST was nothing short of historic. It sets out as an international center of excellence where students and their professors have been selected purely for academic qualities and potential and they will be given a liberal campus in which debate, research and innovation can flourish.

KAUST will be like no other university, either in the Kingdom or in the Arab world. Until now Arab institutions of higher learning, especially in their science and technology faculties, have all been utilitarian. They are designed to equip their students with the exacting qualifications they will need for the workplace. There is little time in their academic programs for original research. They teach what is already known. They are not set up to discover new knowledge, even though masters and doctoral dissertations do, from time to time, throw up new insights and understandings.

KAUST is configured the other way round. It has already drawn in the very best academic teachers to work with the very best young male and female minds gathered from all over the world. King Abdullah has said that KAUST will serve as a lighthouse of knowledge for all mankind. And there is one very important factor that will underpin this ambition. Over and above the scholarships that King Abdullah himself is endowing each year, the new university will be one of the most, if not indeed the most, generously endowed academic institutions in the world.

The constant clamor of research scientists everywhere is for more funding. The pace of scientific investigation is often limited by its commercial potential. The frequent complaint is that pure science is at the back of the queue when research grants are being handed out.

As an independent university governed by a self-perpetuating board of trustees and supported by a multibillion-dollar endowment, KAUST convenes the best minds — based strictly on merit — and creates a collaborative community of passionate and talented researchers from around the world. The university acts as a catalyst for research that applies science and technology to problems of human need, social advancement and economic development.

Charles M. Vest, former president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, underlined the role of the research university in the 21st century at KAUST groundbreaking ceremony two years ago. “Great universities seek to understand the past, engage the present, and shape the future. Universities that have a strong focus on science and technology have a particular responsibility to engage the present and shape the future, but they too must understand the past and learn its lessons. They must do so in order to clearly understand that they are at the core of the flow of human history and essential to human progress.”

Vest said KAUST was breaking the mold and taking a bold, new step. “This is a noble and farsighted undertaking. It is also a voyage into the unknown. KAUST has set its compass by consulting widely and learning lessons from the experiences of great research universities throughout the world. But the founders of KAUST also understand the value of a fresh start, the uniqueness of its location, the necessity of its engagement with the world community, and its orientation toward the future.”

The former MIT chief said the potential benefits the new university brings with it are almost limitless. “Research universities create opportunity. They create opportunity for individual students by inspiring them, educating them, orienting them toward the future, teaching them that they are responsible for their own lives, and preparing them to advance the human condition,” Vest said.

Vest said that KAUST might become part of a new, virtual entity that will shape higher education in the decades to come.

“In my view, a global meta university is emerging. This meta university consists of the cyber-infrastructure, scholarly digital archives, open-access teaching materials, and virtual communities of scholars and researchers,” Vest said. “It is the substrate on which the 21st century research university will be built. Like the computer operating system Linux, knowledge creation and teaching at each university will be elevated by the efforts of a multitude of individuals and groups all over the world. The meta university will rapidly adapt to the changing learning styles of students who have grown up in a computationally rich environment. The greatest benefits of the meta university will accrue to developing nations because such shared resources can accelerate and reduce the cost of the development of new schools, colleges, and universities.”

Unlike a meta university that will exist in cyberspace, KAUST sits on the Red Sea coast with students in the labs, lecture halls and classrooms and professors at the lecterns. KAUST's vision is of a bright future for the Kingdom and its people.

Wishing to rekindle and spread the great and noble virtue of learning that has marked the Arab and Muslim worlds in earlier times, King Abdullah said: “It is my desire that this new university becomes one of the world's great institutions of research; that it educates and trains future generations of scientists, engineers and technologists; and that it fosters, on the basis of merit and excellence, collaboration and cooperation with other great research universities and the private sector.”

source (http://www.arabnews.com/?page=9&section=0&article=126669&d=23&m=9&y=2009)

the outstanding grand opening was last night

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this project is completed now just after 23 months from the beginning of construction works !!!
:banana::banana::banana::cheers::cheers:

double post :ohno::ohno:

they think by pouring money, intellects all around the world gonna come and work here? think again, money is not the sole answer to academic prowess, it may help, but this university gonna take years and years before they can claim to be on par with great universities around the world....

they think by pouring money, intellects all around the world gonna come and work here? think again, money is not the sole answer to academic prowess, it may help, but this university gonna take years and years before they can claim to be on par with great universities around the world....

well , they have already came here .
they have now over 71 faculty member most of them are form the US and Europe , PLUS over 800 students from all over the globe . I agree with you that it'll take years before it can be "on par with great universities around the world" , we do realize that and we can wait , no big deal .

Visualization Laboratory Showcase
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SHAHEEN Supercomputing Center :
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From wikimedia
Official website: http://www.kaust.edu.sa/

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/KAUST_building.jpg/800px-KAUST_building.jpg

THUWAL
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http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5144/5618986695_0b3ae3f4f0_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanlandinstitute/5618986695/)
KAUST1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanlandinstitute/5618986695/) by Urban Land Institute (http://www.flickr.com/people/urbanlandinstitute/), on Flickr
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/hunterdouglascontract/4678101773/
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5269/5619574916_819b1fefc4_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanlandinstitute/5619574916/)
KAUST2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanlandinstitute/5619574916/) by Urban Land Institute (http://www.flickr.com/people/urbanlandinstitute/), on Flickr