Saudi Arabia to host international executive and advisory committee meeting for Global Research Council

The Kingdom recently hosted the Executive Committee and International Steering Committee meeting of the World Research Council at the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). The Deputy Chairman of the Governors Council of the World Research Council, Dr. Muneer bin Mahmoud Al-Dosouqi, welcomed the acting Secretary-General and participating members both physically and virtually from around the world at the start of the meeting.

Participants discussed the scientific program and Saudi Arabia’s preparations to host the upcoming 13th annual meeting of the World Research Council. This will be the first time the council holds its meeting in the Middle East and North Africa region, in Riyadh from May 18-22, 2025. The event is organized by the Research, Development, and Innovation Authority in partnership with KACST and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. The meeting will focus on “Research Management in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” and “Collaborative Creative Work to Address Global Challenges Towards Achieving Sustainable Development.”

Future directions for the council, reports from various working groups, mechanisms for utilizing the council’s various principle statements, and turning them into actionable plans to help research councils shape different policies were also reviewed by the participants. They further discussed the reports from the five member regions of the World Research Council – Europe, Asia, the Pacific, Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa. The role of the council in strategic research funding planning was also discussed, along with the discussion of the board’s agenda and future proposals for hosting the council’s secretariat at one of the member councils.

Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the World Research Council meeting emphasizes its prominent position, scientific institutions, and outstanding efforts regionally and globally in promoting research, development, and innovation. The Kingdom’s continuous efforts to enhance cooperation among research councils in the Middle East and North Africa region enhance its presence and contribute to advancing knowledge and innovation globally. This is supported by unprecedented backing from the wise leadership, alongside the Kingdom’s commitment to enhancing collaborative work and achieving global strategic goals in the fields of research, development, and innovation.