Overview
KAUST Policy Institute is designed to expand the KAUST influence on national policy and advance the ambitions of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. By bridging science, technology, innovation, and public policy, the Institute positions KAUST as a trusted partner to government and industry on today’s most pressing challenges.
Through world-class research and evidence-based insights, KAUST’s will transform scientific knowledge into actionable policy insights. The Institute will deepen KAUST’s engagement with senior policymakers, strengthen its role in national development, and amplify the University’s contribution to shaping the Kingdom’s future.
Our Vision
At the intersection of science, technology, and policy, The Policy Institute aspires to become a globally recognized hub where science-based analysis shapes policy decisions, inspire bold change, and advance sustainable, innovative, and social progress to improve well-being and prosperity for the Kingdom and the world.
Our Mission
To shape public policy and decision-making by drawing on KAUST’s scientific research and expertise into timely, credible, and actionable insights. To build a pipeline of policy-literate scientists and analytically oriented policymakers.
Recognition for Research Excellence Globally and in KSA
Four pillars driving policy impact
The Policy Institute delivers on its mission through three interconnected pillars:
Policy research and analysis
Robust policy decisions:
Produce rigorous, data-driven, and evidence-based analysis that draws on KAUST’s scientific research and innovation to inform national and global policy decisions.
Capacity building
Policy leadership and talent:
Develop the next generation of policy professionals, scientists, and decision-makers through executive education, training programs and experiential learning that integrate science with policy practice.
Policy engagement
Platform for policy influence:
Convene high-level dialogues, roundtables, and policy forums to engage stakeholders, foster collaboration, and help shape both the Kingdom’s and the international policy agenda.
The Policy Institute’s operating model principles
1. Dual presence for impact
Academic rigor anchored in Thuwal; policy influence embedded in Riyadh.
2. Lean core, extended reach
A small, dedicated team leveraging KAUST multidisciplinary faculty expertise and shared services as an operating model.
