Cisco and KAUST launch AI Institute in Saudi Arabia under the patronage of H.R.H. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Cisco and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have launched a new AI Institute at the KAUST campus, under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Energy and Chairman of the KAUST Board of Trustees. The Institute is built to advance applied AI research, development, and education, and to grow a highly skilled AI workforce in Saudi Arabia in support of Vision 2030.
The launch was attended by Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO of Cisco, and Sir Edward Byrne AC, President of KAUST, alongside H.E. Eng. Abdullah Amer Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Jeetu Patel, Cisco President and Chief Product Officer, and Martin Lund, EVP, Cisco Common Hardware Group. Their presence signals a strong industry-academia partnership with national backing.
What the Institute will focus on
- AI-native communication systems and networking research
- Advanced edge infrastructure for Industry 5.0 and intelligent factories
- Autonomous mobility and intelligent transport systems
- AI use cases for public-interest domains: water, energy, food, and health
KAUST emphasized that the Institute is a practical step to equip students and researchers with future-ready skills while reinforcing the university's role in scientific and technological education and research. Cisco underscored the economic potential of AI for the Kingdom and the importance of upskilling the workforce.
Infrastructure and compute
Cisco will contribute its latest technology, including a Cisco AI POD - a modular, pre-validated AI infrastructure solution. Think of it as a ready-to-go AI "factory" that simplifies building data centers for complex AI workloads, improving time-to-value and security at scale.
Talent development at scale
The Institute will complement Cisco's commitment to provide free digital upskilling for 500,000 learners in Saudi Arabia over five years through the Cisco Networking Academy, with emphasis on AI, cybersecurity, data science, and programming. The Academy has already trained more than 480,000 learners in the Kingdom, with 36% female participation.
Collaboration model and national programs
The AI Institute will be overseen by a joint governing board with representatives from KAUST and Cisco to set strategy and ensure collaborative execution. It forms part of Cisco's Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program, which has delivered 23 projects in Saudi Arabia since 2016 across healthcare, education, smart cities, and government services.
For researchers: why this matters
- Clear applied research lanes (AI-native networking, edge/Industry 5.0, autonomous systems) with direct industry integration.
- Access to enterprise-grade AI infrastructure via Cisco's AI POD to run demanding training and inference workloads.
- Domain-driven projects in water, energy, food, and health-ideal for interdisciplinary teams and translational outcomes.
- A pathway for student and professional upskilling at national scale via Networking Academy and KAUST programs.
Located at KAUST, the Institute builds on more than two decades of collaboration between Cisco and Saudi Arabia and supports national priorities in research, innovation, and talent. Learn more about KAUST's mission and programs at kaust.edu.sa, and see the broader national context at Vision 2030.
About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is a global technology leader in networking, security, and AI-era infrastructure, helping organizations connect securely and build digital resilience. Explore updates on the Cisco Newsroom.
About KAUST
Established in 2009, KAUST is a graduate research university focused on solving challenges across food and health, water, energy, environment, and the digital domain through distinctive, collaborative research.
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