Saudi Arabia Hosts Meeting Between the Executive Committee and the International Steering Committee of the GRC Next May

Saudi Arabia Hosts Meeting Between the Executive Committee and the International Steering Committee of the GRC Next May

2025-03-02

Riyadh, SPA: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosted the meeting of the Executive Committee and the International Steering Committee of the Global Research Council (GRC) at the headquarters of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST).At the beginning of the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the GRC Dr. Munir bin Mahmoud Al-Desouki, who is also a member of the Board of Governors for the MENA region, welcomed the Acting Secretary-General of the Council and the members participating in person and via virtual channels from different regions of the world.The participants reviewed the scientific program and the Kingdom’s preparations to host the 13th annual meeting of the GRC, which will be held for the first time in the MENA region since the council’s establishment. The meeting will take place in Riyadh from May 18 to 22, 2025, organized by the Research, Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA) and KACST, in partnership with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK). Discussions will center on two key topics: “Research Management in the Era of Artificial Intelligence” and “Working Together in Co-Creation to Address Global Challenges.”Participants also reviewed the future directions of the council, reports from various working groups, and mechanisms for leveraging the council’s principle statements into executive plans that enable research councils to formulate policies.Additionally, the meeting covered reports from the five member regions of the GRC—Europe, Asia, the Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and the MENA region—and the council’s role in strategic planning for research funding. Discussions also included the agenda for the Governing Board and a proposal to host the Board’s meeting at one of the member councils.Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the GRC meeting reaffirms its prominent position in the global scientific community and highlights the efforts of its scientific institutions at both regional and international levels in supporting R&D and innovation. The event also underscores the Kingdom’s ongoing commitment to strengthening cooperation between research councils in the MENA region, reinforcing its global presence and contributing to knowledge and innovation advancement. These efforts align with the unprecedented support for the R&D and innovation sector provided by the Kingdom’s leadership.This hosting reflects the Kingdom’s dedication to fostering collaborative initiatives and achieving global strategic goals in R&D and innovation.