Saudi Food Futures Forum:
Delivering Innovation for Sustainable Food Security
ABOUT THE EVENT
Technological innovations are advancing rapidly, and we want to deliver these to increase sustainable food security in KSA. In this event, we will bring together researchers, industry leaders, government representatives, and strategic partners to learn, collaborate and accelerate innovation for the benefit of the food sector in KSA. This event will highlight the achievements of the SFS CoE and foster dialogue between KAUST researchers and key national, regional, and international stakeholders. It will provide a platform to explore the latest innovations in sustainable agriculture, food production technologies, and their transformative impact on food security in the Kingdom and beyond.
CALL FOR STUDENT RESEARCH PITCHES
If you would like to showcase your research related to agriculture, food security, or sustainability, please register your interest and submit your title and a brief abstract by Oct 30, 2025. Please submit your proposed e-poster title and abstract here by Oct 28.
e-Poster guidelines can be found here.
AGENDA
09:30
10:00
10:15
10:30
10:45
11:00
11:15
11:30
11:45
12:00
12:10
13:30
13:45
14:00
14:15
14:30
15:00
15:15
15:30
16:30
09:30
10:00
10:15
10:30
10:45
11:00
11:55
12:00
13:30
SPEAKERS
Prof. Mark Tester
Event Chair
Professor, Plant Science | Chair, Center of Excellence for Sustainable Food Security
KAUST
H.E Dr. Munir M. Eldesouki is currently the President of KACST.
His 21 years of experience span the spheres of government, R&D, technology, and Innovation, where he played influential roles at different levels as seasoned researcher, inventor and leader setting national strategies, driving execution and shaping R&D, innovation and ICT & Digital ecosystems of Saudi Arabia.
Previously, H.E. Dr. Eldesouki held various C-level positions in the Saudi government. Where he was the Assistant Minister of ICT, the Deputy Minister of Planning and Development at Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), as well as the Senior Advisor in establishing new government entities and vision 2030 programs. In addition, H.E. Dr. Eldesouki had led several research institutes and programs with international collaborators from the US, UK, Switzerland, Canada, China, South Africa, Belarus and others from both private and public sectors. He also managed a number of national institutes and centers related to innovation, material science, and nanotechnology.
He has also headed or was a member of many national-level committees such as the Executive Committee for the Digital Collaboration Organization, the Digital Economy Task Force under the Saudi G20 2020 Presidency and the 2021 Italian Presidency, and the Governing Board for Global Research Council. In addition to his membership in other national boards including Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Award to honor inventors and talented individuals, Chairman for the Board of Trustees of Almari Award for Scientific Innovation, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in KSA in affiliation with the WEF, and member of the following boards of directors: the Saudi Space Commission, Hevolution Foundation, the King Abdulaziz & his Companions Foundation for Giftedness & Creativity (Mawhiba), the King Salman Science Oasis, the General Organization for Military Industries, the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information, and the Saudi Business Center, and the Saudi Center for Competitiveness.
H.E. Dr. Khaled AlRohily
H.E Dr. Maha Aldhah
Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Reef Academy
Ms. Fiona Symes
Strategy & Operations Director
KAUST
Dr. Rebekah Waller
Agricultural specialist
KAUST
Dr. Marco El-Dakar
Postdoctoral Fellow
Clean Energy Research Platform
KAUST
Dr. Ibrahim Elbasyoni
Research Scientist KAUST
KAUST Centers of Excellence
KAUST Launches Four Pioneering Centers of Excellence to Address Key National and International Priorities
KAUST CORE LABS
KAUST hosts a wide range of sophisticated instruments and world-class facilities that students can access, including the Prototyping and Product Development Core Lab, and laboratories involving robotics and embedded systems, sensors, intelligent autonomous systems and biotechnology. Specific labs will be identified based on the curriculum and individual projects.
A NEW ERA FOR KAUST
Our unrelenting commitment to research, innovation and talent has seen KAUST establish itself as one of the leading research universities in the world, ranking #1 for citations per faculty globally, with a reputation for impact-driven research that contributes to the betterment of the world. This new era of KAUST builds on our many successes, achievements and strong foundations, and our new strategy represents an evolution that brings us closer to the interests of the Kingdom.
CONTACT US
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Thuwal 23955-6900
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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