Riyadh: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is helping define Saudi Arabia’s essential role in the critical domain of artificial intelligence (AI) – a mission exemplified by the Rising Stars in AI Symposium 2025. By convening the world’s brightest early-career minds for creative dialogue and sparking new ideas and collaborations, the university reinforced its position as a hub for transformative AI research in the Kingdom and beyond, according to a news release issued by KAUST.
According to Saudi Press Agency, KAUST is deeply committed to building an environment where ideas flourish, discoveries emerge, and impact is achieved. KAUST president Sir Edward Byrne AC highlighted the long-term support of outstanding individuals and the symposium’s potential to shape AI’s global trajectory through new relationships among future colleagues, research partners, and mentors.
Center of Excellence for Generative AI chair Professor Bernard Ghanem noted KAUST’s reputation as a serious player in the AI research community. He emphasized the symposium’s strategic value for KAUST’s AI talent, who utilized the event to highlight pioneering research in generative AI, machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing. The symposium served as a platform for knowledge transfer, brainstorming, and collaboration.
Ghanem also described the symposium as a recruitment tool for KAUST researchers and faculty, with previous editions proving successful in this regard. He stated that the event reinforces the university’s role as a global stimulus for AI innovation, attracting attention to KAUST’s worldwide research presence.
KAUST Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (CEMSE) Division dean Gianluca Setti highlighted Saudi Arabia’s rapid growth in AI, noting the Kingdom’s leadership in advancing women’s empowerment and job creation within the sector. He emphasized the significant role of KAUST and its Generative AI Center in these areas.
Dr. Vijay Prakash Dwivedi, a Stanford University postdoctoral researcher, expressed the symposium’s value in engaging with colleagues, exploring collaborations, and observing KAUST’s vision and capabilities. He presented on transformers for graph structural data, finding the experience invaluable.
KAUST researchers showcased their recent AI work during poster sessions at the symposium, engaging with global peers. Dr. Andr©s Villa, a postdoctoral fellow in the Image and Video Understanding Lab, shared his team’s work on improving the accuracy and reliability of instructional AI systems in interpreting visual information, benefiting from symposium discussions.
The symposium concluded with KAUST signing a memorandum of understanding for research collaboration with Tawuniya, the largest insurance company in the Middle East and North Africa. This year’s event expanded to include industry partners from across the Kingdom.
