King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) has been a Member since 1987.
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), formerly known as the Saudi Arabian National Centre for Science and Technology (SANCST), was established in 1977. It is an autonomous government organization responsible for the promotion of science and technology, and the coordination of scientific endeavour among the various institutions within the Kingdom. It emphasizes the promotion of applied research for the purpose of building a technical base serving development in the agricultural, industrial, medical and environmental fields for the benefit of various sectors of the economy.
KACST has joined, as a National Member, some of the leading international scientific organizations. KACST has the task of building the infrastructure needed for supporting scientific research in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which includes management of research grants, setting-up of communication networks and science and technology databases, and conducting applied research at its various institutions, namely: the Energy Research Institute, the Space Research Institute, the Computer and Electronics Research Institute, the Atomic Energy Research Institute, the Petroleum and Petrochemicals Research Institute, the Natural Resources and Environmental Research Institute, and the Astronomy and Geophysics Research Institute.
