• In the presence and under the patronage of His Highness Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, Governor of Jeddah, AlBaik Food Systems Company signed a strategic cooperation agreement with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to launch the ‘e-AlBaik Lab’  

• e-AlBaik Lab is a new smart technology living lab on campus dedicated to innovation in food service    

In the presence and under the patronage of His Highness Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, Governor of Jeddah, AlBaik Food Systems Company signed a strategic cooperation agreement with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to launch the ‘e-AlBaik Lab’, a new smart technology living lab on campus dedicated to innovation in food service.    

The agreement will leverage KAUST’s advanced research infrastructure and technical expertise to enhance AlBaik’s food service and delivery innovation. It includes creating an experimental “living lab” on the KAUST campus to test and develop intelligent systems that will support AlBaik’s mission as a national food brand committed to advanced technology and global knowledge-sharing. Key focus areas include automated ordering, smart delivery, and sustainability.    

The signing ceremony was attended by H.H. Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, Governor of Jeddah, H.E. Saleh Al-Turki, Mayor of Jeddah, Mr. Ihsan Abu Ghazaleh, Chairman of AlBaik, and KAUST President Sir Edward Byrne AC.      

Eng. Rami Abu Ghazaleh, CEO of AlBaik Food Systems Company, signed the agreement, along with Samer Samman, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at KAUST.      

“This partnership is about exploring smart systems that will elevate the customer experience in ordering and delivery,” said Rami Abu Ghazaleh. “It’s also about applying intelligent solutions to support sustainability in food production, quality assurance, and service delivery.”    

Dr. Ian Campbell, Vice President for the National Transformation Institute (NTI) at KAUST, commented: “We are excited to collaborate with AlBaik on food tech innovation, particularly around the use of drones and autonomous delivery vehicles to improve delivery efficiency in high-density areas.”    

This initiative comes at a time when the food delivery sector is experiencing rapid growth, underscoring the need for fast, efficient solutions. Drone and autonomous vehicle technology offers promising benefits in bypassing traffic, cutting emissions, reducing operating costs, and enhancing customer satisfaction.    

The strategic move also aligns with AlBaik’s 50th anniversary as one of Saudi Arabia's leading food brands, reaffirming its commitment to technology, sustainability, and operational excellence.    

AlBaik also aims to tap into KAUST’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, which is known for supporting cutting-edge startups and delivering advanced business innovation training programs.