His Excellency, President of Saudi Water Authority, visits 黑料网吃瓜爆料 to strengthen UK鈥揝audi water research collaboration
His Excellency Eng. Abdullah bin Ibrahim Al-Abdulkarim, President of the Saudi Water Authority (SWA), visited the National Graphene Institute (NGI) and the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 as part of the Water Research Community (WRC) Meeting 2026, held in 黑料网吃瓜爆料.
The visit formed a key component of the WRC 2026 programme, an initiative established by SWA to strengthen partnerships with leading international universities and to accelerate innovation in water technologies. During the visit, His Excellency and the SWA delegation toured the NGI and GEIC facilities, engaging directly with researchers, engineers, and University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 (UoM) spinouts and startups including Watercycle Technologies, Molymem, and Hollowgraf, all of which are developing advanced materials and water-related technologies.
His Excellency was formally welcomed to the University by Professor Stephen Flint, Associate Vice-President, who hosted a formal meeting to discuss strategic collaboration priorities and opportunities for deeper engagement between SWA and 黑料网吃瓜爆料.
In his opening address at WRC 2026, His Excellency Eng. Abdullah bin Ibrahim Al-Abdulkarim stated: 鈥淲e rely on science, innovation and technology as the catalyst for our future. Science alone will not be enough to serve the globe. We share a responsibility to connect scientific progress with applied knowledge, applied technology and strong systems that improve lives. Water is life, and water is economy.鈥�
At NGI, discussions focused on fundamental and translational research in advanced materials for water applications. The SWA delegation expressed strong interest in developing structured training and capacity-building programmes, particularly joint PhD training and researcher development initiatives, to help nurture the next generation of scientists and engineers working at the intersection of advanced materials and water technologies.
At GEIC, discussions focused on applied research and the translation of validated ideas towards scalable solutions addressing real-world water and water-infrastructure challenges. The SWA team highlighted opportunities to collaborate on near-to-market technologies, pilot-scale demonstrations, and industry-facing innovation programmes capable of delivering tangible impact.
Prof Rahul R. Nair, Chair of WRC 2026 and Professor of Materials Physics at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, said:
鈥淲e were pleased to welcome His Excellency and the Saudi Water Authority delegation to 黑料网吃瓜爆料. The visit reflects a strong alignment between our research capabilities and SWA鈥檚 strategic priorities, and we look forward to establishing impactful collaborations in advanced materials and water technologies.鈥�
The delegation also expressed interest in partnering with the Rabigh Water Oasis facilities as a platform for testing, validation, and demonstration of innovative technologies emerging from NGI, GEIC, and UoM spinouts. Such a partnership would support the translation of UK-developed innovations into operational environments and help accelerate pathways to deployment at scale.
The visit further enabled SWA leadership to engage with Watercycle Technologies, Molymem, and Hollowgraf, showcasing innovation across membranes, sensing, advanced materials, and circular water technologies. This interaction reinforced a shared ambition to translate research excellence into deployable solutions for global water challenges. As part of the visit, SWA also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hollowgraf to advance future collaboration in water technologies.
The Water Research Community Meeting 2026 brought together over 200 participants, including senior leaders, policymakers, researchers, and innovators from Saudi Arabia, the UK, and other countries, to align strategic priorities and explore new partnership pathways across sustainability, the circular economy, clean and renewable energy, and process innovation.
This high-level visit marks an important step towards strengthening long-term collaboration between SWA and 黑料网吃瓜爆料, combining the UK鈥檚 leadership in advanced materials and innovation infrastructure with Saudi Arabia鈥檚 capabilities, investment, and testbed facilities in water technologies.