Board of Trustees
The KAUST Board of Trustees comprises international leaders in academia, science, finance, industry, and public life.
In accordance with the charter, members of this fully independent, self-perpetuating body gather at least three times a year to oversee the University’s activities and monitor its progress and development. Trustees “shall embody wise and responsible governance and supervision, and shall contribute to this pioneering endeavor and promote the spirit of creativity the University represents.”
The 20-member Board appoints the president of KAUST and approves the appointment of senior administrators and faculty members, upon recommendation of the president. It is responsible for approving rules that regulate academic, financial, and administrative affairs at the University, and for providing support to the officers who manage day-to-day operations at KAUST.
Other statutory functions of the Board and its four standing committees include establishment of institutional partnerships and oversight of assets, including the University’s endowment, campus, and facilities.
The current members of the KAUST Board of Trustees are:
His Excellency Minister Ali Ibrahim Al-Naimi
Chairman, KAUST Board of Trustees
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
President and CEO, Saudi Aramco
Mr. Andrew Gould
Chairman and CEO, Schlumberger Limited
Professor Rolf-Dieter Heuer
Director General, 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
Minister of Health
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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. Tony Tan
Chairman, National Research Foundation of Singapore
Dr. Shirley M. Tilghman
President, Princeton University
Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni
Former Director, National Institutes of Health of the United States
Professor Jie Zhang
President, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Mr. William F. Stamm
Executive Secretary to the Board