President of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Global Research Council (GRC), and representative of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region Dr. Munir Eldesouki emphasized the pivotal role of research councils in the region in driving scientific advancement.
His remarks came during his chairing of the regional meeting of MENA research councils, held on the sidelines of the 13th annual meeting of the Global Research Council, organized by KACST and the Research Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA), in partnership with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK), and attended by heads of regional research councils.
Eldesouki stressed that scientific research is a cornerstone of sustainable development, as it enables the development of innovative solutions to the challenges facing societies.
He reaffirmed KACST’s commitment to working with local and international partners to foster research collaboration and knowledge exchange, thereby enhancing the region’s contribution to the global research and innovation ecosystem.
During the meeting, the heads of the regional research councils reviewed the secretariat’s annual report, which highlighted key achievements in bilateral cooperation programs, research capacity building, and challenges such as funding constraints and the exchange of expertise.
The council leaders agreed on the need to strengthen the connection between research outcomes and industrial sectors, emphasizing the importance of building effective partnerships between universities, research institutions, and the private sector to address shared challenges in areas such as food and water security and renewable energy.