Saudi Arabia's groundbreaking King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) will be a leading light in technological innovation and educational development, the institution's president Choon Fong Shih has claimed.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Shih, who previously headed the University of Singapore, said that the institution's focus on academic and scientific rigour will put the university at the forefront of educational and professional development in the Middle East.

"We recruit the very best in the world ... and we give them the freedom to pursue their scientific interests," he said, speaking ahead of the inauguration of the multimillion-dollar training and development centre today (September 23rd).

In addition to providing state-of-the-art facilities for the advancement of pure academic disciplines, KAUST will also offer leading training and development technologies and teaching standards in fields such as petroleum engineering and downstream process management.

Getenergy event for GCC countries November 2009