OceanQuest, a Saudi Arabian not-for-profit foundation, announced its official launch recently in Jeddah.
Based at the KAUST campus in Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, OceanQuest is on a mission to accelerate ocean discovery, drive innovation, and foster international cooperation while engaging the public. By cultivating partnerships that advance multidisciplinary ocean research, the foundation aims to benefit humanity, enhance ocean literacy, and elevate public awareness.
“Through this collective effort, OceanQuest will drive solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time,” stated Prince Bader Bin Abdullah Bin Farhan, Chairman, Board of Trustees, OceanQuest.
OceanQuest will support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 ambitions by spearheading innovation in ocean exploration, nurturing global partnerships, and advancing sustainable development. The foundation is set to contribute to the Kingdom’s national research, development, and innovation (RDI) targets by providing SAR 3bnn in research and development funding by 2050 and supporting more than 150 scientists annually.
Protecting marine habitats
In addition, OceanQuest will help achieve the Kingdom’s goal of protecting 30% of its marine habitats by bolstering the biotech and pharmaceuticals strategy, identifying sensitive marine ecosystems, enabling sustainable projects along the Red Sea, and leveraging deep-sea corals as natural carbon sinks to support Saudi Arabia’s decarbonization efforts.
The Board of Trustees of the foundation consists of Prince Bader Bin Abdullah Bin Farhan (Chairman of the Board); Advisor to the Royal Court, Dr. Fahad Bin Abdullah Toonsi; Governor of the Public Investment Fund Yasir Al-Rumayyan; Advisor to the Royal Court Abdulaziz Bin Ismail Tarabzoni; CEO, NEOM, Aiman Al-Mudaifer; CEO, Red Sea Global, John Pagano; President of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Prof. Edward Byrne, and Raymond Thomas Dalio.
