GÉANT and Maeen join forces in support of Saudi-European research & education collaborations

Tallinn - GÉANT and the Saudi Research and Innovation Network (Maeen) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) today at TNC19 in Tallinn, expressing their commitment to join forces in support of research and education (R&E) collaborations between Europe and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Operated by King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology (KACST), Maeen was launched in December 2017 to form the national R&E network for KSA and currently connects 46 universities, government and other public organisations.

One of the key areas of cooperation is intended to be the interconnection of GÉANT and Maeen’s international networks which is currently under discussion. Through the MoC there is also agreement to work together to support R&E networking development in the Gulf region and to support user activities between the Saudi and European R&E communities.

The initial term of this MoC is for a period of five years.

At the signing ceremony Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Athel, VP KACST, said: "We are keen to build excellent partnerships with other research networks around the world, promoting international cooperation in the fields of scientific research and innovation. The MoC between GÉANT and Maeen will open doors for further opportunities. It will connect our users and expand their reach to valuable resources.”

Erik Huizer, CEO GÉANT, welcomed the new cooperation opportunities: “We look forward to working with Maeen, our Saudi NREN partner, to further develop connectivity between Europe and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As part of GÉANT’s efforts to connect with research and education networks across the world, this will not only facilitate Saudi-European collaborative research and learning, but also open up opportunities to boost R&E networking in the entire Gulf region.”

Source: https://www.geant.org/News_and_Events/Pages/GEANT-and-Maeen-join-forces-in-support-of-Saudi-European-research-education-collaboration.aspx