RAWABI HOLDING TO ESTABLISH A RESEARCH CHAIR AT ...
RAWABI HOLDING TO ESTABLISH A RESEARCH CHAIR AT ...
RAWABI HOLDING TO ESTABLISH A RESEARCH CHAIR AT ...
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Wednesday, May 11, 2011<br />
<strong>RAWABI</strong> <strong>HOLDING</strong> <strong>TO</strong> <strong>ESTABLISH</strong> A <strong>RESEARCH</strong> <strong>CHAIR</strong> <strong>AT</strong> KAUST<br />
KAUST President, Professor Choon Fong Shih, announced today the establishment of The Rawabi<br />
Holding Research Chair in Solar and Photovoltaics Engineering. The endowment is a gift from<br />
Rawabi Holding, a leading conglamorate based in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.<br />
The Rawabi Holding Research Chair in Solar and Photovoltaics Engineering will support an outstanding<br />
member of Faculty dedicated to the research of renewable energy science and engineering which will<br />
provide the foundation for innovation in efficient and low-cost disruptive photovoltaic (PV) foundational<br />
technologies.<br />
The research enabled by this Chair endowment will have a direct impact not only on the science and<br />
engineering discoveries in the area of renewable energy, but also on preparing the future workforce in<br />
this exciting field. According to a recent report by the United Nations Environment Program, alternative<br />
energy employment is projected to rise noticeably in the renewable energy sector - more than eight<br />
million jobs will be created by 2030. The Chair holder will also be enabled to actively engage with many<br />
in the Kingdom in order to raise the awareness of the benefits of alternative energy to the quality of life<br />
and economy both in the Kingdom, and the world.<br />
Professor Choon Fong Shih, President of KAUST, said: “We are grateful for this generous gift from<br />
Rawabi Holding and its Chairman, Mr. Abdulaziz Ali Alturki. This endowed chair will expand<br />
opportunities at KAUST for a distinguished researcher to contribute significantly to advancing<br />
breakthrough science in solar and photovoltaics engineering to bring benefits to the Kingdom and<br />
beyond.”<br />
Rawabi Holding’s pioneering support for this research Chair at KAUST comes as a part of the<br />
company’s Community Investment Program where local and international foundations focused on major<br />
causes like technological advancement and economic development in Saudi Arabia are funded. Rawabi<br />
Holding strongly believes that such support will strengthen the university’s drive to create a knowledgebased<br />
economy in the Kingdom.<br />
Mr. Abdulaziz Ali AlTurki, Rawabi Group Chairman, said: “At Rawabi Holding, we have a long-term<br />
commitment to playing a central role in the economic development and quality of life in the countries<br />
where we operate, and supporting technological advancement has long been one of our highest<br />
priorities,” he said. “We look forward to working with KAUST to meet these important objectives.”<br />
About KAUST<br />
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), located on more than 36 million square meters by the Red Sea<br />
at Thuwal in Saudi Arabia, is an international, graduate research university dedicated to inspiring a new age of scientific<br />
achievement in the Kingdom. As an independent, merit-based institution, KAUST brings together top researchers from around<br />
the globe to collaborate to solve challenging scientific and technological problems.<br />
Rawabi Holding Co. Ltd. P.O. Box 79800<br />
Al Khobar 31952, KSA<br />
T +966 3 864 9909<br />
F +966 3 894 1943<br />
info@rawabiholding.com<br />
www.rawabiholding.com
The university was envisioned and established by The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al<br />
Saud as a new “House of Wisdom” and a beacon for peace, hope and reconciliation to serve the people of the Kingdom and<br />
benefit all peoples of the world. KAUST’s founding class of graduate students exemplifies these goals. The students, who hail<br />
from about 60 countries worldwide, were selected on the basis of academic merit.<br />
University Development strives to advance and strengthen the mission of the university by securing sustainable philanthropic<br />
support which enables the university to pursue its primary purposes of teaching and research and providing opportunities for<br />
donors and funding partners to participate in the life of the university and engage in its future.<br />
About Rawabi Holding<br />
Rawabi Holding has been operating in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East for over thirty years as one of the leading industrial<br />
players in the region. The company has activities in Oil, Gas & Petrochemicals, Engineering & Construction, Power, Telecom &<br />
IT, Corrosion & Industrial Services, Logistics and Consumer Products. The company’s vision is to be the leading regional<br />
provider of products and services to a diversified range of key industries, and by doing so to contribute to the economic<br />
development and quality of life in the countries where they operate.<br />
Rawabi Holding Co. Ltd. P.O. Box 79800<br />
Al Khobar 31952, KSA<br />
T +966 3 864 9909<br />
F +966 3 894 1943<br />
info@rawabiholding.com<br />
www.rawabiholding.com
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