Riyadh, May 23, 2022, SPA -- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) has signed several cooperation agreements with American research and academic bodies to establish centers of excellence in emerging technologies and implement strategic projects that enhance economic growth in the Kingdom and achieve its ambitious vision of transformation towards an innovation-based economy. The signing of the agreements came on the sidelines of the Saudi official visit to the US, headed by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Chairman of the Board of Directors of KACST, Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha. KACST President Munir bin Mahmoud El-Desouki said the partnership with the world’s leading research and technology centers aims to consolidate the Kingdom’s position as a regional center for research, development, and innovation, achieve the Kingdom Vision 2030 in transferring and localizing emerging technologies, and empower national human resources. For her part, the KACST supervisor of the joint centers of excellence, Dr. Mariam Noah, stated that the program of the joint centers of excellence aims to enhance cooperation with international research and academic bodies to meet the needs of the vital strategic sectors in the Kingdom by seizing and localizing promising opportunities in emerging technologies to promote the growth of the national economy. --SPA 20:24 LOCAL TIME 17:24 GMT 0025 www.spa.gov.sa/w1737149