Beaming with pride, he warmly received dignitaries including heads of state, global business leaders, Nobel laureates and some of the world’s most celebrated academics; he waved cheerily as he walked through the inaugural exhibit area with his guests and proceeded to the auditorium; and he smiled with pride as he sat through a glorious presentation titled “Journey of Knowledge” that showcased how Thuwal was transformed from a sleepy fishing town to the home of a world-renowned university, and applauded as a disparate group of boys and girls representing 50 countries, who have sent their students to KAUST, trooped down the stage, waving their native flags.
The king heard with rapt attention speeches delivered by Ali Al-Naimi, minister of petroleum and mineral resources and chairman of the KAUST Board of Trustees, Khaled Al-Anqari, minister of higher education, and Professor Choon Fong Shih, KAUST president.
In his succinct keynote address, King Abdullah said the 21st century SR10 billion university promises to usher in another age of Arab scientific inquiry. He said he was happy that his dream has been realized and thanked Saudi Aramco and its team for playing a stellar role in making it all happen in record time.
