Knowledge Exchange and Research Institute Director represents Kingston University during key Saudi Arabia visit

The Director of the Cyber, Engineering and Digital Technologies Knowledge and Research Institute at Kingston University, Professor Jean-Christophe Nebel represented the University on the international stage when he was given the opportunity to attend a key UK and Saudi Arabia research and education partnership event. Professor Nebel shares how the visit went and how it will help further strengthen relations between the countries for research and knowledge exchange.

Since its establishment in March 2018, the Saudi–UK Strategic Partnership Council has enabled the two Kingdoms to further strengthen their relationship across trade, investment, security, culture, sustainability, research and education. This cooperation has continued to grow, driven by the alignment between Saudi Vision 2030 and the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, published in 2025, as well as shared diplomatic priorities. This momentum was further reinforced by Prince William’s official visit to Saudi Arabia from 9–11 February 2026.

Within this context, the British Council, through the International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF), hosted a UK–Saudi Arabia Partnership Development Event in Riyadh from 8–12 February 2026, providing a major new national-scale platform for scientific collaboration with a specific emphasis on Transformative Technology for a Resilient Planet and I had the privilege of representing the UK as part of its 20‑member delegation of senior researchers.

Through a structured UK–Saudi engagement programme, participants attended the third International Conference on Sustainability in Riyadh, visited cutting‑edge facilities including the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), and contributed to a workshop co‑organised by the Research, Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA), the Saudi research council, and the British Council to advise on joint research calls supporting academic collaboration between the two countries. 

These networking activities fostered new academic relationships and facilitated the development of collaborative project concepts, laying the groundwork for future joint research initiatives.

During this trip, I was also honoured to be given a private visit of the Health Sciences Research Center at Princess Nourah University, and was impressed by their state-of-the-art laboratories which support the Saudi Biobank, a national biomedical research infrastructure designed to support Saudi Arabia’s health, biotechnology, and precision‑medicine goals.

Since returning, I have had ongoing correspondence and online meetings that support the development of projects spanning sustainable construction practices, emerging clean‑energy technologies, and the application of AI‑enhanced data analysis to protect public health.

The visit helped identify shared research priorities in which Saudi partners bring expertise and facilities that complement those of Kingston University. By fostering a closer relationship with Saudi collaborators and beginning to shape potential joint proposals, the University will be well positioned to respond to the forthcoming joint RDIA–British Council funding calls expected later this year. This growing collaboration between British and Saudi institutions will support efforts to advance a more sustainable future, where Kingston University is prepared to assume a prominent role.

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