TLDR: The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Academy is leveraging artificial intelligence and strategic programs to develop a national scientific workforce and establish a generative AI center, directly supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals.
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – August 1, 2025 – The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Academy is making significant strides in advancing Saudi Vision 2030 by strategically integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its research and educational initiatives. The academy’s efforts are primarily focused on cultivating a robust national scientific workforce and establishing a cutting-edge generative AI center.
KAUST Academy has launched several key programs to achieve these ambitious goals. The Lifelong Learning Initiative offers continuous training in critical fields such as AI, cybersecurity, bioinformatics, and future materials, aiming to build qualified national competencies. The university also provides free micro-courses with professional certificates and has implemented specialized training programs for over 15,000 Saudi university students in AI, bioinformatics, and renewable energy. Furthermore, the STEPs program prepares school students for admission to top global universities through a comprehensive 15-month academic and practical training course.
A cornerstone of KAUST’s strategy is the development of centers of excellence, including a newly established generative AI center. This center is dedicated to creating multicultural and bilingual visual language models, with applications spanning education, healthcare, and data privacy. Since 2009, KAUST Academy has provided academic programs to thousands of students, with 15,000 benefiting from virtual education and 2,800 attending in-person sessions. Notably, 280 of these students secured scholarships at prestigious international universities like Oxford and Cambridge. These initiatives collectively position KAUST as a vital national platform for human capital development in Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Sultan Al-Barakati, Director of KAUST Academy, emphasized the importance of these initiatives, stating, “These programs are a cornerstone in preparing and empowering young generations in promising fields that address future needs.” He further highlighted that KAUST is progressively taking a more proactive role in workforce development in the Kingdom, leveraging massive open online courses and cloud resources to deliver practical, hands-on AI training at scale across the Kingdom.
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KAUST’s commitment to AI is long-standing, with the university positioning itself as a leading academic institution in the region for enhancing human capabilities and fostering innovation in this field. This is supported by robust infrastructure, advanced technologies, and strategic partnerships with public and private sector institutions. The academy’s “Continuing Education” initiative, launched in 2022, has already delivered six training programs and three summer camps, collaborating with 20 Saudi universities and attracting participants from 12 cities across the Kingdom, with women comprising 70% of attendees. By the end of 2022, approximately 2,000 students had been trained, with the involvement of distinguished experts, including Professor Jurgen Schmidhuber, recognized as the “father of modern AI.”
