Leaders of SYS associated groups at Saudi universities meet every quarter to address challenges and share aspirations towards making a positive impact at a national level. We believe thatTogether Everyone Achieves More!
To join this program, apply for a group membership here.
Learn about developing a group here.
One of our signature programs is hosting an annual gathering of youth-led sustainability groups to empower, cultivate and celebrate achievements. The annual conference features outstanding speakers, workshops, tours, changemaker competition and more.
The inaugural annual conference of Saudi Youth for Sustainability is going to take place on June 19th and 20th, 2022, at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. The theme of this year’s annual conference is Thriving Together, in which we explore how Saudi youth can be active contributors to vision 2030 through advocacy, education, and technology. Explore the program here.
A training program entitled Sustainable Creativity to create innovative products and services for sustainable development in line with the vision 2030, using creativity tools and sustainable self-training. The Sustainable Creativity program is an opportunity to bring together innovators and the community to thrive together, learn from each other and maximize impact. The program also empowers you to be a coach and spread a good impact by participating in another journey of giving.
This enrichment program comes in partnership with Jumana bint Khalid bin Abdullah Al Sheikh Hussein, a Saudi female life coach interested in creativity and social innovation, and a PhD researcher in interpretation and Quranic sciences at King Faisal University.
Objectives:
● Introducing sustainable development goals and the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in achieving them.
● Discovering the application of creativity tools in achieving sustainable development goals.
● Applying the sustainable awareness product plan using creativity and self training tools
● Directing participants to spread creativity in achieving sustainable development using educational games
This program is presented in Arabic. Register your interest here.
The Climate Change Champions program is derived from the active citizens program that evolves within the context and communities that make a real difference. The Global Network of Active Citizens is an opportunity to bring together climate activists committed to a common goal, learn from each other and multiply impact through a united voice and teamwork.
We provide an opportunity to participate in an interactive workshop on active citizenship to create positive change in the local community and join this amazing network. This two-week enrichment program comes in partnership with the British Council in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The workshop covers:
● Nature, Identities and Cultures
● You and Me - Climate Change and Dialogue
● We Are Together - Climate Change, Societies and Ecosystems
● Social Action - Climate Action
For more information, visit https://www.britishcouncil.org.eg/en/programmes/society/active-citizens
This program is presented in Arabic.
Energy Voice aims to provoke Saudi Youth to rethink energy sustainability and its future by hosting a full-day program held at different KSA campuses throughout the year.
The program is led by Mohammed Almomatin & Mojtaba Alshams, young engineers completing their graduate studies at KAUST, and initiated and organized by the Saudi Arabia Section of the Combustion Institute and The Saudi Youth for Sustainability.
Being your Voice up! We encourage you to apply to be a panelist if you are:
The Saudi Sustainable Oral Healthcare (SSOH) initiative is the first initiative in the Gulf and the Middle East region to focus on sustainability in oral healthcare. The initiative was launched in partnership with King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST) through the Saudi Youth for Sustainability (SYS).
Aligning with the goals of the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Dental Federation (FDI), and the national Saudi Vision 2030, the initiative aims to improve oral health in Saudi Arabia by promoting sustainable practices, prevention culture, and equitable access to quality care while emphasizing environmental responsibility. The initiative targets all stakeholders, including students, educators, healthcare professionals, healthcare industries, government entities, non-profit organizations and the general public.
The initiative is led by Dr Hasan Jamal, a specialist, an assistant professor in Paediatric Dentistry, a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and a member of the Sustainability Task Team at the FDI World Dental Federation. He received his first master’s degree in Regenerative dentistry (from King’s College London) and his second master’s degree in Biomaterials (from Queen Mary University in London). He received his Clinical Doctorate in pediatric dentistry from University College London. He published several studies in prestigious journals and has been a keynote speaker at national and international conferences.
The SYS Special Talks was launched in tandem with COP27 and SGIF with an aim to inspire actions through intellectual exchange across generations on trending issues of sustainability.
Upcoming
Events
Desalination & Water treatment plant:
A modern 40,000-52,000 m3/day Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant is located within KAUST campus and integrated with a wastewater treatment plant designed to treat roughly 9500 m3/day. All wastewater (storm water, gray water, black water) and the large condensate load from the campus is treated and further used for irrigation needs, thus greatly reducing potable water demand for the University.
IKAS: Integrated KAUST Automation System:
Integrated KAUST Automation System, or IKAS, is a centralized Smart hub for the operation of building systems for our state of the art facilities. This IoT platform enables integration of multiple services and systems, with the objective of ensuring an optimal environment where end users can perform at their best. At the same time, IKAS is a prime tool for energy optimization and a source of rich building data, which has been used by some researchers at KAUST.
Edama Composting Facility:
The recycling facility set a precedent for the future of city-scale composting in arid environments, showcasing the integration of sustainable technology for the benefit of our communities and the environment.
KAUST Smart Home:
The recently completed KAUST Smart Home has LEED Platinum certification and attained second place in the global rankings. The building is located in the Campus residential area and used for testing smart city concepts and leveraging the unique talents and expertise available within the KAUST community of researchers and innovators.
Red Sea Farms:
Red Sea Farms develops salt, heat, and drought-tolerant crops. Using technology-powered breeding programs and non-GMO biotechnology, Red Sea Farms are able to deliver seeds and seedlings to serve agriculture in harsh environments, including areas impacted by salt or with brackish irrigation water. Savings of 300L of freshwater per kg of produce are achieved using sunlight and saltwater as base resources. Facility utilizes saltwater for evaporative cooling, liquid desiccants for night chilling, as well as solar-integrated fan systems and energy-saving, electricity-generating films.
KAUST Museum of Science & Technology in Islam
The Museum celebrates the contributions of Muslim scholars to science and technology during the first Golden Age of Islam from the 650 to 1650. These Muslim scholars include amongst them the great scientists, inventors, engineers, mathematicians and teachers of that time, such as Jabir ibn Hayyan, Abbas bin Firnas, al-Kindi, al-Razi, al-Jazari and Taqi al-Din. The Museum demonstrates how their contributions shaped the world as we know it today and how their pioneering work laid the foundation for modern civilization. The benefits of their work are all around us today.
Prototyping & Product Development Core Lab
The Prototyping and Product Development Core Lab (PCL) provides well-equipped spaces to support fabrication projects ranging from micro-sized to complex product development. The Lab offers mentorship, apprenticeship, training and full service expertise in computer aided design and reverse engineering, rapid prototyping, electronics, machining, CNC computer aided programming, scientific glassblowing, welding, woodworking and more.
Imaging & Characterization Core Lab
The Imaging and Characterization Core Lab houses state-of-the-art technologies in the disciplines of electron microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, physical characterization, surface science, and optical microscopy.
Nanofabrication Core Lab
The Nanofabrication Core Lab provides expertise in the fabrication and characterization of micro- and nano-scale devices. To maintain the level of cleanliness required by the cleanroom operations related to fabrication of such small-scale structures, the requirements of specific standard ISO 14644 are strictly observed and enforced, special attention being directed toward actions to avoid/minimize contamination.
Bioscience Core Lab
The Bioscience Core Lab provides a state-of-the-art facility to support genomic and proteomic studies. The Lab offers expertise ranging from project planning, experimental design, sample preparation, instrumentation, sequencing / mass spectrometry analysis, and downstream data analysis.
Ali I. Al-Naimi Petroleum Engineering Research Center (ANPERC)
The vision of the Center is to contribute unprecedented physics-based engineering solutions for subsurface energy resource recovery and geo-storage with reduced environmental and economic costs that have decisive impact to the Kingdom and the world.
KAUST Solar Center (KSC)
KAUST Solar Center's mission is to create new science and technology in the field of solar energy conversion, providing an environment for interdisciplinary research, training and innovation. The current expertise in the Center is centered on photovoltaic applications based on organic, hybrid and perovskite materials. The research accomplishments of the KAUST Solar Center (KSC) faculty, helps establish the KSC as a renowned Center in these emerging photovoltaic technologies, from materials design, modeling, synthesis, and characterization to processing and solar cell fabrication.
The KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC) was established as a world-leading hub to develop a multi-disciplinary approach to catalysis and to address scientific challenges of the 21st century. Today, catalytic processes impact on the industrial, agricultural and consumer sectors; catalysts are fundamental for a broad range of devices, including sensors, fuel cells, exhaust gas converters and water purifiers. Development of new catalytic processes across the chemical, petroleum and new energy industries will increase energy efficiency and reduce waste and the overall environmental footprint. Being at the heart of many applications, catalysis research is a highly interdisciplinary field requiring a holistic approach, including the development of new active sites and reactivity concepts, and new methods of applying these catalysts.
The Clean Combustion Research Center (CCRC) is a world-renowned research center pursuing leading solutions to global challenges arising from the combustion of fossil fuels, such as pollutant control, global warming and climate change abatement, and sustainable fuel usage. The Clean Combustion Research Center (CCRC) will seek a knowledge-based understanding of combustion phenomena, develop innovative technologies for clean and efficient combustion and provide solutions for present and future energy and environmental challenges. The Center will establish a graduate-level research program for the education and training of expert leaders on clean combustion technology for the benefit of the Kingdom, the region and the world.
Previous
Events
Desalination & Water treatment plant:
A modern 40,000-52,000 m3/day Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant is located within KAUST campus and integrated with a wastewater treatment plant designed to treat roughly 9500 m3/day. All wastewater (storm water, gray water, black water) and the large condensate load from the campus is treated and further used for irrigation needs, thus greatly reducing potable water demand for the University.
IKAS: Integrated KAUST Automation System:
Integrated KAUST Automation System, or IKAS, is a centralized Smart hub for the operation of building systems for our state of the art facilities. This IoT platform enables integration of multiple services and systems, with the objective of ensuring an optimal environment where end users can perform at their best. At the same time, IKAS is a prime tool for energy optimization and a source of rich building data, which has been used by some researchers at KAUST.
Edama Composting Facility:
The recycling facility set a precedent for the future of city-scale composting in arid environments, showcasing the integration of sustainable technology for the benefit of our communities and the environment.
KAUST Smart Home:
The recently completed KAUST Smart Home has LEED Platinum certification and attained second place in the global rankings. The building is located in the Campus residential area and used for testing smart city concepts and leveraging the unique talents and expertise available within the KAUST community of researchers and innovators.
Red Sea Farms:
Red Sea Farms develops salt, heat, and drought-tolerant crops. Using technology-powered breeding programs and non-GMO biotechnology, Red Sea Farms are able to deliver seeds and seedlings to serve agriculture in harsh environments, including areas impacted by salt or with brackish irrigation water. Savings of 300L of freshwater per kg of produce are achieved using sunlight and saltwater as base resources. Facility utilizes saltwater for evaporative cooling, liquid desiccants for night chilling, as well as solar-integrated fan systems and energy-saving, electricity-generating films.
KAUST Museum of Science & Technology in Islam
The Museum celebrates the contributions of Muslim scholars to science and technology during the first Golden Age of Islam from the 650 to 1650. These Muslim scholars include amongst them the great scientists, inventors, engineers, mathematicians and teachers of that time, such as Jabir ibn Hayyan, Abbas bin Firnas, al-Kindi, al-Razi, al-Jazari and Taqi al-Din. The Museum demonstrates how their contributions shaped the world as we know it today and how their pioneering work laid the foundation for modern civilization. The benefits of their work are all around us today.
Prototyping & Product Development Core Lab
The Prototyping and Product Development Core Lab (PCL) provides well-equipped spaces to support fabrication projects ranging from micro-sized to complex product development. The Lab offers mentorship, apprenticeship, training and full service expertise in computer aided design and reverse engineering, rapid prototyping, electronics, machining, CNC computer aided programming, scientific glassblowing, welding, woodworking and more.
Imaging & Characterization Core Lab
The Imaging and Characterization Core Lab houses state-of-the-art technologies in the disciplines of electron microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, physical characterization, surface science, and optical microscopy.
Nanofabrication Core Lab
The Nanofabrication Core Lab provides expertise in the fabrication and characterization of micro- and nano-scale devices. To maintain the level of cleanliness required by the cleanroom operations related to fabrication of such small-scale structures, the requirements of specific standard ISO 14644 are strictly observed and enforced, special attention being directed toward actions to avoid/minimize contamination.
Bioscience Core Lab
The Bioscience Core Lab provides a state-of-the-art facility to support genomic and proteomic studies. The Lab offers expertise ranging from project planning, experimental design, sample preparation, instrumentation, sequencing / mass spectrometry analysis, and downstream data analysis.
Ali I. Al-Naimi Petroleum Engineering Research Center (ANPERC)
The vision of the Center is to contribute unprecedented physics-based engineering solutions for subsurface energy resource recovery and geo-storage with reduced environmental and economic costs that have decisive impact to the Kingdom and the world.
KAUST Solar Center (KSC)
KAUST Solar Center's mission is to create new science and technology in the field of solar energy conversion, providing an environment for interdisciplinary research, training and innovation. The current expertise in the Center is centered on photovoltaic applications based on organic, hybrid and perovskite materials. The research accomplishments of the KAUST Solar Center (KSC) faculty, helps establish the KSC as a renowned Center in these emerging photovoltaic technologies, from materials design, modeling, synthesis, and characterization to processing and solar cell fabrication.
The KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC) was established as a world-leading hub to develop a multi-disciplinary approach to catalysis and to address scientific challenges of the 21st century. Today, catalytic processes impact on the industrial, agricultural and consumer sectors; catalysts are fundamental for a broad range of devices, including sensors, fuel cells, exhaust gas converters and water purifiers. Development of new catalytic processes across the chemical, petroleum and new energy industries will increase energy efficiency and reduce waste and the overall environmental footprint. Being at the heart of many applications, catalysis research is a highly interdisciplinary field requiring a holistic approach, including the development of new active sites and reactivity concepts, and new methods of applying these catalysts.
The Clean Combustion Research Center (CCRC) is a world-renowned research center pursuing leading solutions to global challenges arising from the combustion of fossil fuels, such as pollutant control, global warming and climate change abatement, and sustainable fuel usage. The Clean Combustion Research Center (CCRC) will seek a knowledge-based understanding of combustion phenomena, develop innovative technologies for clean and efficient combustion and provide solutions for present and future energy and environmental challenges. The Center will establish a graduate-level research program for the education and training of expert leaders on clean combustion technology for the benefit of the Kingdom, the region and the world.