World Association for Sustainable Development (WASD) is very pleased to welcome you to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Sustainable Development Goals Universities Initiative (KSASDGsUNi). The initiative aims to bring together all universities and research institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and comet them with universities from across the world in a global forum to collaborate and reconnect with the discourse of Sustainable Development (SD). KSASDGsUNi will therefore help KSA universities and research institutions to play a critical role enabling KSA reap the benefits form the global growth in the knowledge economy particularly for the country’s Digital Natives (Youth).

KSASDGsUNi aims to critically examine a number of issues relating to the role and relevance of universities and research institutions in KSA to the contemporary discourse of countries’ sustainable inclusive knowledge-based development such as the role of KSA universities in supporting and enhancing the process of economic and social development in KSA; identify all major obstacles that Saudi universities face in their countries including any governments components and most importantly how can these obstacles best be overcome; and what is the new role(s) of Saudi universities in the post Covid-19 era. 

KSASDGsUNi also aims to improve the research within KSA universities to help achieve the Saudi Vision 2030 and the United Nations Agenda 2030 and its 17 SDGs by addressing the significant demand for evidence-based research across the world. It is therefore aims to provide practical recommendations and actions to help transform the way KSA universities conduct and use research to achieve the SDGs, and the way KSA universities access and benefit from the global data freely available for use by leading international organizations such as the UN, World Bank, etc. The Initiative will work closely with various KSA universities to address the following key issues in their contribution to Saudi Vision 2030 and KSA’s efforts to achieve the Agenda 2030 and its SDGs: how Saudi universities see the role of STI in service of the 2030 Agenda?; how do KSA universities reflect the SDGs in their own research activities?; and do KSA universities believe that the HE system in KSA is properly using scientific research in finding solutions to KSA’s problems?