KAUST President Dr. Jean-Lou Chameau delivered one of the opening keynote addresses at the 10th edition of the Saudi Water and Power Forum (SWPF) in Riyadh. SWPF is an annual forum and exhibition for water and power stakeholders held under the Ministry of Water & Electricity patronage and produced by the CWC Group in partnership with Moya Bushnak. Other keynote speakers included H.E. Abdullah Al Hussayen, Minister, Ministry of Water & Electricity and Adil Bushnak, chairman of Moya Bushnak.

The premier water and power forum in the Kingdom, SWPF plays a key role in establishing connections between various stakeholders and partners to discuss key challenges, policies, and strategies needed to ensure a sustainable future for power and water sectors in the Kingdom. In its tenth year, this three-day forum focused on achieving sustainable development through innovation.

KAUST has been an active participant of the SWPF since 2009 and ensuring the availability and security of water and energy is key to the KAUST mission. In his keynote address, President Chameau explained that KAUST is designed to serve as a global center of research and academic excellence through an integrated approach to research focusing on four thrusts: water, energy, food, and the environment.

“KAUST is a visionary undertaking, unique in the history of academia, to create a university dedicated to helping solve major societal problems,” said Dr. Chameau. “Our purposeful design allows researchers to consider the interconnectivity of these vital issues and resources.”

Dr. Chameau shared that creating lasting solutions will require a multi-pronged approach that includes better, more efficient technologies; highly skilled talent prepared to lead in the areas of water and energy; and a cultural shift in how these resources are consumed and preserved in the future. KAUST serves to play a vital role in this process by cultivating talent, fostering global collaborations and partnerships that propel science and innovation forward in the Kingdom, attracting industry and top minds from around the world, and creating new technologies to address local and global problems.

“I am more certain than ever that the investment, drive, and incentive exist in the Kingdom to continue leading the world in advanced energy technologies and water solutions,” said Dr. Chameau. “The energy sector in Saudi Arabia is also well-positioned to serve as a conduit to economic development and the cultivation of the Kingdom’s Knowledge Economy.”