Saudi KAUST Researchers Join OceanQuest Inaugural Expedition Around Africa
Researchers from Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) joined the Saudi non-profit foundation OceanQuest on its first marine expedition around Africa aboard the advanced research vessel RV OceanXplorer, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday.
The expedition represents a major milestone in marine and ocean exploration, underscoring Saudi Arabia's dedication to advancing national scientific expertise and boosting global research cooperation — key goals under Saudi Vision 2030.
The mission began in Moroni, Comoros, with the team sailing south through the Indian Ocean to Cape Town, South Africa. Its focus was on assessing biodiversity across several seamounts.
A second phase, designed for early-career oceanographers, proceeded north to Walvis Bay in Namibia before concluding scientific operations in Mindelo, Cabo Verde.
The KAUST research team, comprising two PhD candidates from the Marine Microbiome Lab and one from Earth Science and Engineering, conducted crucial research in biodiversity assessment, seamount studies, and chemical analyses. The experience provided the students with significant hands-on experience.
The team researched seamount formation in the Indian Ocean, seeking insights into similar geological phenomena in Saudi waters. The work involved ocean depth mapping and sample collection, providing the researchers with practical field experience applicable to research within the Kingdom.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Uzbekistan keen to collaborate with Saudi Arabia on environmental protections: top official
RIYADH: Uzbekistan's cooperation with Saudi Arabia on ecology and environmental protection is steadily progressing, with the Central Asian nation aiming to deepen this partnership through the exchange of knowledge and innovation, a top official said. Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the Tashkent International Investment Forum, Uzbekistan's Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change Aziz Abdukhakimov said that the country wishes to collaborate with the Kingdom to develop effective solutions to issues including dust and sand storms. Saudi Arabia is spearheading climate action efforts across the Middle East, with ambitions to plant 10 billion trees, rehabilitate 40 million hectares of degraded land, and reduce carbon emissions by more than 278 million tonnes per year. 'Our cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the fields of ecology and environmental protection is dynamic and multifaceted. Through the Intergovernmental Commission between our two countries, we regularly exchange views on the current state and future prospects of collaboration between our environmental agencies,' said Abdukhakimov. He added: 'We plan to foster collaboration between our national parks and protected natural areas. Saudi Arabia has more than 70 such areas, covering about 18 percent of its territory.' The minister further said that such collaborations will allow the exchange of expertise in preserving unique ecosystems and rare species of flora and fauna. Abdukhakimov added that Uzbekistan's Central Asian University of Environmental and Climate Change Studies is seeking to establish academic partnerships with institutions in the Kingdom, including King Saud University and King Abdulaziz University, for the exchange of scientific knowledge and innovations in the environmental field. 'Our cooperation is built on trust, mutual interest, and a shared responsibility for sustainable development and environmental protection in our regions,' said the minister. He also invited Saudi partners to participate in the international Eco Expo Central Asia exhibition to be held in Tashkent from June 19 to 21, as well as the 20th CITES COP20 Conference, which will take place in Samarkand from Nov. 24 to Dec. 5. Uzbekistan's environmental agenda During the interview, Abdukhakimov told Arab News that Uzbekistan is currently facing several severe environmental challenges, both globally and regionally, including climate change, desertification, and land degradation. 'These phenomena directly impact the country's sustainable development and require proactive government action. At the regional and national levels, the most pressing issues include water scarcity and pollution, air quality degradation, and the need to conserve and restore biodiversity,' he said. To address these challenges, the Uzbek government, under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, is taking various measures, including a push for a green economy, a transition to environmentally friendly transportation, and the development of alternative and renewable energy sources. Saudi Arabia is also collaborating with Uzbekistan to advance its energy transition journey, which aims to generate 40 percent of its electricity from clean sources by the end of this decade. Saudi utility giant ACWA Power is the largest foreign player in Uzbekistan's energy sector, with the company already implementing 19 projects in the country worth a combined value of $5 billion. Out of these 19 initiatives, eight are focused on renewable energy, which is expected to support the Central Asian nation's goal to achieve 20 gigawatts of clean energy capacity by 2030. During the Tashkent Investment Forum, Abid Malik, president of ACWA Power for Central Asia, announced that Uzbekistan will commence producing green hydrogen this month, with an annual production capacity of 3,000 tonnes. In 2023, Mirziyoyev launched a pilot green hydrogen facility in the Tashkent Region in cooperation with ACWA Power. The $88 million project is being implemented in two phases, with production from the first phase expected to begin this month. During the forum, Soumendra Rout, ACWA Power's country head for Uzbekistan, said that the company is planning to invest $5 billion in the Central Asian nation as a part of its broader strategy aimed at increasing its total commitments in the country to $15 billion. Abdukhakimov added that Uzbekistan, through the nationwide project Yashil Makon 'Green Space,' aims to plant 200 million trees annually. Under the project, Uzbekistan has planted over 850 million tree and shrub seedlings over the past four years. 'Under the 'Uzbekistan – 2030' Strategy, one of the key priorities is to ensure a favorable environment for the population. The year 2025 has been declared the 'Year of Environmental Protection and Green Economy,' underscoring the state's strong commitment to environmental priorities,' said the minister. Abdukhakimov further added that Uzbekistan is also strengthening institutions for environmental monitoring and control, with the country installing automated air pollution monitoring stations and expanding its meteorological network. 'These measures demonstrate Uzbekistan's systematic approach to solving environmental problems and its active engagement in the global environmental movement,' he added. Cooperation with regional partners According to Abdukhakimov, Uzbekistan, like other Central Asian nations, is located in one of the world's most climate-vulnerable regions. He added that the average temperature in the region has risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius — twice the global average, while the area of glaciers has decreased by 30 percent in the last 50 to 60 years, resulting in water shortages, land degradation, and reduced crop yields. 'Central Asian countries share a common history, transboundary water resources and similar environmental threats — from desertification to increased vulnerability in agriculture. For this reason, Uzbekistan views cooperation as a key instrument in crafting a unified regional response to climate risks,' said the minister. To ensure regional cooperation, Uzbekistan also hosted the Samarkand Climate Forum in April, where the Regional Green Development Concept was presented. The minister said that this document serves as a foundation for shaping coordinated climate policy and strengthening regional solidarity in the face of global challenges. Uzbekistan is also actively engaged in numerous regional initiatives, including the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia, and the CAREC Program, as well as projects with the World Bank, OSCE, and UNESCO. Abdukhakimov further said that these initiatives will facilitate knowledge exchange, joint management of natural resources, and the mobilization of international funding. 'In short, Uzbekistan builds regional cooperation on climate issues on the principles of solidarity, mutual benefit, and synergy— firmly believing that only collective efforts can ensure a sustainable future for the entire region,' the minister said.
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
A world at war is unlikely to save the oceans
The world has come together in France this week to look for a way to save our oceans. It is no doubt an important mission, but it seems like an impossible one in our world of conflict. The third UN Ocean Conference in southern France is focused on adopting strict rules to govern deep-sea mining and has warned against racing to exploit the ocean floor, in a thinly veiled rebuke of the US. But one look at the real problems and adversities affecting the viability of our oceans goes beyond one's imagination, especially since the actions to limit the damage do not measure up across the board. The anxiety of those gathered in Nice, including French President Emmanuel Macron, is justified, but not only due to the madness of certain predatory economic steps taken by individual countries that could harm the seabed, disrupt biodiversity and release irrecoverable carbon sinks in the name of profit and dominance. Scientists have also been warning about ocean acidification. Oceans are known to absorb about 30 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions and that starts chains of chemical reactions that result in increased acidity, which in turn affects human and marine life. Although geoengineering is offering some respite to the conscience of some, the science of manipulating the Earth's natural processes to try to solve the problem chemically or through other inventions is still in its infancy. Its efficiency has not been tested over time, despite the billions of dollars of investment poured into the adoption of such unproven solutions. Scientists claim that the oceans are today at the mercy of the evil twin of the climate crisis — and that is the reduction of their pH levels due to carbon dioxide being rapidly absorbed. It then reacts with water molecules, leading to the oceans becoming increasingly acidic. Headline-grabbing statements like those of the UN secretary-general, who warned at this week's conference that the world should not let the deep sea 'become the wild west,' could go a long way toward focusing minds. But this will not stop powerful nations vying for control and economic supremacy amid the tussle over contentious rules on mining and conservation. Nor will it heal the oceans for the benefit of both humanity and the sea creatures that are vital in making our world livable. The mission of delegates to turn promises into protection and to deliver action is quite challenging Mohamed Chebaro Similarly, the mission of delegates to turn promises into protection and to deliver action, rather than more rhetoric, to protect our ever-warming, distressed oceans is quite challenging. A modest 8 percent of the world's oceans are currently designated as marine protected areas, despite a globally agreed target of 30 percent by 2030. The failings are staring us in the face. This is despite the efforts of some countries, such as Greece, Brazil and Spain, which have rushed to put chunks of their national waters under protection by creating marine parks. Such action is often challenged by a lack of funding and limited enforcement, while it is especially challenging for squeezed smaller nations to emulate. The efforts by countries like France and the UK to ban some fishing methods, such as bottom trawling in marine protected areas, must be applauded despite the fact that they do not go far enough for economic reasons. Bottom trawling involves huge fishing nets being indiscriminately dragged over the ocean floor, rendering natural regeneration and the replenishment of sea life nearly impossible. This conference will, unfortunately, be little more than a talking shop and another missed opportunity. This time it is not only because of bickering between the Global North and the Global South, rich versus poor, but because geopolitical competition between superpowers is rendering the minimal multilateral action taken to save the oceans ineffective. This is a world dominated by greed-driven economic competition and exploitation, dwindling resources and more false and misinformed narratives than undivided truth, to the point that trust has largely vanished. Another key point is that a world that is unable to stop the killing in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan is unlikely, sadly, to get its act together and save the future of the oceans — the lungs of our ecosystem that are today breathing with difficulty. The conference in Nice, like many other similar meetings, will console itself if a last-minute flurry of signatures ensures the ratification of the High Seas Treaty to protect international waters, which make up 60 percent of the world's oceans. Whether it will be binding or not is subject to its implementation and enforcement. Macron told reporters this week that 55 nations have ratified the treaty, only five shy of the number required for it to come into effect early next year. Admitting that global warming is human-made and that action is needed to remedy it, through science and business and the transformation of economic and social models that would take decades and a lot of money to enact, is one thing. Consensus regarding treaties and conventions is another, as countries each rightly put their national interests first and common interests last. Above all, in a world where narratives of conflict dominate and geopolitical calculations fail to align, failures are recorded on every level and in a disheartening fashion. It seems like nations have ample resources to invest in war and very little for protecting the planet and its oceans. • Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist with more than 25 years' experience covering war, terrorism, defense, current affairs and diplomacy.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Arab News
Health in space: crucial for Saudi Arabia's journey beyond Earth
We are now closer to the vastness of space than ever before. More nations are expressing interest and participating in space activities. Additionally, more astronauts are venturing into space, with exploration no longer limited to select countries but opening up to many nations and even individuals. Public-private partnerships are transforming the space sector, with companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic offering opportunities for private citizens to travel to space. Increasing international collaboration is also playing a key role. Saudi Arabia's first mission took the first Muslim and Arab astronaut, Prince Sultan bin Salman, into space aboard NASA's Discovery Shuttle. More recently, Ali Al-Qarni and Rayyanah Barnawi — the first female Arab in space — participated in the Axiom-2 mission. Saudi Arabia is also a signatory to the Artemis Accords, along with more than 50 other nations, paving the way for deep space and lunar missions and research. International cooperation is expanding opportunities for other countries as well; Pakistan was recently announced as the first foreign nation to have a citizen conduct research on China's space station. Being an international space medicine and health educator, mentor, and researcher, I would like to highlight that a critical prerequisite at the core of all future human missions is the health and well-being of the humans in space. This is especially important as Saudi Arabia advances its space sector, furthering research and its astronaut program in support of Vision 2030. In my recent publication in one of the world's distinguished scientific journals, I focused on keeping astronauts healthy in space. It highlights the human physiological, health, and psychological challenges inherent in space. The publication also explores the specific complexities of deep space environments, where scientific understanding of human health, sustained radiation exposure, and other unprecedented difficulties remains notably limited. Key challenges in deep space missions include studies showing significantly higher daily radiation exposure on the lunar and Martian surfaces compared to Earth. We must also develop innovative approaches for healthcare delivery in space. Traditionally reliant on telemedicine and Earth-based support, such systems face major limitations due to communication delays — with signals between Mars and Earth taking up to 20 minutes one way — making Earth-dependent care inefficient in medical emergencies. One solution is to incorporate advanced artificial intelligence for autonomous medical assistance, a domain in which Saudi Arabia is actively investing through initiatives like its National Strategy for Data and AI. Another key area of concern is the mood and mental health challenges. Human missions to Mars will face many stressors, including the long duration away from loved ones, with the trip itself taking around 7–10 months in a confined space. I have heard some find it tiring to drive from Jeddah to Riyadh in a car for almost 10 hours — so how would you feel being stuck in that limited space non-stop for 10 months? Reflecting on confined space, I am reminded of Prince Sultan's quote about his mission: 'You miss space most in space.' My deep interest and experience in space medicine and health originate from a foundational conviction — reinforced by being a medical doctor, academic, and space medicine educator and researcher — that the optimal health of astronauts will always take precedence in any human space mission, regardless of how advanced our engineering, policies, or propulsion systems are. If an astronaut's health is compromised, even the most technologically advanced mission will be put on hold. No crewed space mission would receive approval until we ensure astronauts' health and well-being can be maintained throughout the mission. Consequently, space medicine, life sciences, and health are not merely significant; they are absolutely indispensable for Saudi Arabia's future in space. For these reasons, I strongly recommend that Saudi Arabia prioritize developing its own robust capabilities in this field. Establishing national capacity in this critical domain is crucial for future endeavors, and I am ready to bring my expertise to help develop and drive this vision forward. — Dr. Farhan M. Asrar is a Canadian physician, academic, and space medicine researcher. He is associate dean at Toronto Metropolitan University's School of Medicine and holds senior faculty/leadership roles at the University of Toronto and International Space University.
