Part of:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

The Science and Innovation Network engages with the local science & innovation community in support of UK policy overseas and also creates strategic relationships.

Science and innovation are at the heart of government strategy for promoting prosperity and growth. Research and knowledge is increasingly developed and transferred through international collaboration which provides opportunities to work with the best in the world, exchange students and researchers, and gain access to large scale international facilities; leading to mutual benefits for the UK and Saudi Arabia.

Responsibilities

The Science and Innovation Network (SIN) has approximately 110 officers in over 40 countries and territories around the world building partnerships and collaborations on science and innovation.

In Saudi Arabia, SIN is working on the following global objectives:

  • Establishing the UK as Saudi Arabia’s pivotal partner of choice in science and innovation.
  • Supporting the Saudi Arabia in enhancing their resilience and security by addressing long-term threats, including emerging health issues and global challenges on water and food security, as well as through building their capacity to deliver evidence-based policies.
  • Increasing trade and investment cooperation in education, healthcare, infrastructure, water, clean energy, cyber security, Science and Innovation – working on higher education, collaborating with the British Council and the Gulf Science and Innovation, Knowledge and Economy programme.
  • Broadening security cooperation between the UK and Saudi Arabia – keeping Britain, and our interests, safe.
  • Strengthening bilateral relationship through engagement on science and innovation.
  • Helping Saudi Arabia to deliver commitments made at COP 22.
  • Helping Saudi Arabia with Vision 2030 and achieving economic diversification.
  • Engaging with the next generation of thinkers.
  • Helping Saudi Arabia to deliver on G20 commitments.

Priorities for Saudi Arabia

SIN activities in Saudi Arabia are focused on the following priority thematic areas:

  • Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
  • Genomics and Precision Medicine.
  • Food Security
  • Cyber and ICT
  • Clean and Renewable Energy
  • Future/SMART Cities

Our services

The Gulf Science and Innovation Network consist of three officers covering all six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, with the Head of SIN (Gulf) leading from Doha. In Saudi Arabia, SIN is based at the British Embassy in Riyadh. We work closely with DIT, Political and Prosperity teams, as well as with the British Council.

For an introductory brief which covers the local Science and Innovation landscape, UK priorities and activities in Saudi Arabia, read the UK Science and Innovation Network Country Snapshot.

Opportunities

Gulf Science and Innovation Knowledge Economy Programmer’s Grants, Science Collaboration Symposiums and funding opportunities are often publicised on the Embassy Facebook page, and we chat about them regularly on Twitter, too. Join us!

Contact us

You can email, or telephone us on:
Email: SIN.Gulf@fcdo.gov.uk
Tel: +966 11 481 9293