King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

Invests King Abdullah University of Science and Technology to support practical collaboration across research and industry.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is Saudi Arabia’s private graduate research university in Thuwal on the Red Sea coast. Established by royal decree in 2009, it is a research-performing organization rather than a conventional grant maker, with most of its funding tied to faculty research, student scholarships, and postdoctoral support. Its current strategy also places KAUST inside Saudi Vision 2030’s innovation agenda, including a US$200 million startup fund announced in 2023.

Externally facing funding is narrower but real. The KAUST Global Postdoctoral Fellowship is open worldwide, with annual applications opening July 1 and closing January 15, and it supports independent postdoctoral research in areas such as water, food, energy, environment, health, and AI. TAQADAM, the KAUST and Saudi Awwal Bank accelerator, provides a US$40,000 non-dilutive award to selected startups and can add up to US$100,000 more for top performers. KAUST Innovation Ventures sits on the equity side, so it is not a grant route.

That mix makes KAUST a strong fit for researchers and startups that can work inside its technical priorities and long-cycle commercialization model. Applications run in English, the university’s research funding services handle internal research administration, and the public-facing innovation programs are designed to attract international talent while keeping the institution’s core role as a university intact.