KACST (King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology) is Saudi Arabia’s oldest national science institution, and it is still active and well-funded — but it is no longer the country’s primary source of competitive research grants. Since 2021, that role has shifted to a newer body, the Research, Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA). If you are a research administrator, international collaborator, or grant-seeker evaluating a Saudi funding relationship, mixing these two up is an easy mistake, and it matters: they have different remits, different application channels, and different points of contact.
Quick answer
- KACST was founded in 1977 (as the National Center for Science and Technology; renamed King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in 1985). It is Saudi Arabia’s national science and technology agency and operates the country’s national laboratories. Historically it also administered Saudi Arabia’s main external research-grant programs.
- RDIA (Research, Development and Innovation Authority) was established in 2021 as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reforms. It is now the Kingdom’s central hub for research funding and RDI (research, development, and innovation) policy — the role KACST previously held.
- A 2023 Saudi Cabinet decision (Decision No. 511) formally reorganized KACST around its remaining core functions: national laboratories, technology transfer and localization, patent evaluation, and scientific/technical advisory services — rather than as the Kingdom’s primary grant-making body.
- The two organizations remain closely linked at the leadership level: as of mid-2026, KACST’s president, Dr. Munir Eldesouki, also serves as Acting Governor of RDIA, and the two bodies have appeared jointly at international forums such as the Global Research Council.
- Practical takeaway: if you are looking for a competitive Saudi research grant today, check RDIA’s programs first. If your interest is in national laboratory partnerships, technology transfer, patent-related services, or KACST’s own in-house research institutes, KACST is still the right point of contact.
What KACST actually is
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology traces to 1977, when it was created as the National Center for Science and Technology to coordinate Saudi Arabia’s scientific research activity. It was renamed KACST in 1985 and given independent legal personality, reporting administratively to the Council of Ministers (and, in practice, closely tied to the Prime Minister’s office).
For decades, KACST combined two functions that are unusual to find in a single institution: it was simultaneously (1) Saudi Arabia’s national science and technology policy body and grant funder, and (2) a network of national laboratories and research institutes conducting its own applied research, alongside patent-related services for the Kingdom. This dual “funder plus operator” structure is the detail most likely to confuse anyone reading older material about KACST — because that combination has since been split.
What changed: the 2021-2023 reorganization
Two developments reshaped KACST’s role over 2021-2023:
- 2021 — RDIA established. The Research, Development and Innovation Authority was created as a new, dedicated national authority for research funding and RDI policy, under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program to build a knowledge-based economy. RDIA was designed from the outset to centralize funding decisions that had previously been distributed across several institutions, KACST among them.
- 2023 — KACST reorganized (Cabinet Decision No. 511). A Saudi Cabinet decision approved a new organizational structure for KACST, formally designating it as the center for the Kingdom’s national laboratories in science, technology, and research, and as the national reference body for exclusive/frontier technology, technology transfer, localization, and development. This confirmed, at the institutional level, that KACST’s core identity going forward is laboratories, technology transfer, and technical services — not primary grant administration.
The practical result is that Saudi Arabia’s research-funding landscape now has a clearer division of labor than it did a decade ago: RDIA sets funding priorities and runs competitive grant programs; KACST runs laboratories, supports technology transfer and localization, and provides scientific and technical services (including patent-related evaluation) to universities, research centers, and industry.
RDIA’s current funding role
RDIA is now the entity a researcher or institution should approach for a competitive national Saudi research grant. Its stated priority areas are organized around four themes: health and wellness; sustainability; energy and industrials; and future economies (which includes artificial intelligence, space, and other advanced technologies).
RDIA’s grant programs are typically structured around several tracks aimed at different career stages and research types, including a basic-science program, an applied research and technology program, an emerging-investigator program for early-career researchers, and a flagship program for larger, priority-aligned projects. Programs and eligibility criteria are updated on a recurring cycle, so anyone preparing a proposal should confirm current call details, deadlines, and eligibility directly on RDIA’s official channels (rdia.gov.sa) rather than relying on a prior year’s cycle.
What KACST still does
KACST has not stepped back from Saudi research entirely — its remaining functions are substantial, just different in kind from a competitive grants program:
- National laboratories. KACST operates and hosts national laboratory infrastructure and research institutes spanning multiple technology sectors, conducting applied research in-house rather than only funding outside institutions.
- Technology transfer and localization. Following the 2023 reorganization, KACST is the Kingdom’s designated reference body for transferring, localizing, and developing frontier/exclusive technologies — a role closer to a national technology transfer office than a granting agency.
- Patent-related services. KACST has historically evaluated and processed patent grants in Saudi Arabia and continues to provide intellectual-property-related services connected to the research it supports.
- Scientific and technical advisory services. KACST provides science and technology advice and support services to universities, research centers, and government bodies, and continues to represent Saudi Arabia in international scientific forums (for example, jointly with RDIA at the Global Research Council).
Some KACST-affiliated programs and institutes may still administer their own internal or collaborative funding tied to specific national laboratory projects — but this is distinct from RDIA’s role as the Kingdom’s centralized, competitive national research-grant authority.
Why this matters for research administrators
For anyone managing an international research collaboration, subaward, or funder-compliance record touching Saudi Arabia, the KACST/RDIA distinction is not just institutional trivia:
- Older MOUs, agreements, or funder records that name KACST as the granting body may predate the 2021-2023 shift. Before assuming an old reference is still current, confirm which body — KACST or RDIA — is actually administering the relevant funding today.
- Funder-registry and CRIS records that list “KACST” as a funding source for grants awarded before 2021 are likely accurate for that period; grants awarded since should generally be checked against RDIA as the funder of record where the award was made through RDIA’s national programs.
- Due diligence for a new Saudi partnership should route funding-eligibility and grant-application questions to RDIA, and laboratory-partnership, technology-transfer, or patent-related questions to KACST — sending the wrong inquiry to the wrong body is a common, avoidable delay.
KACST/RDIA in context: other restructured national funders
KACST is not the only national science institution whose funding role has shifted in recent years — research administrators tracking international funder relationships will recognize the pattern. Mexico’s science ministry went through a comparable two-step rename and mandate shift, covered in SECIHTI (formerly CONACYT, formerly CONAHCYT): Mexico’s Restructured Science Ministry. France’s CNRS: Research Operator vs. Funder Explained covers a similar operator-versus-funder distinction to the one described here for KACST. For a Latin American comparison, see ANID Chile (Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo) and Fondecyt. For the broader set of national and international funding bodies research administrators track, see the grants management pillar.
Frequently asked questions
Is KACST still a research funder in Saudi Arabia?
KACST still supports research through its national laboratories and institutes, and some of that work involves funding tied to KACST’s own projects and collaborations. But it is no longer Saudi Arabia’s primary source of competitive national research grants — that role moved to RDIA in 2021 and was reinforced by KACST’s 2023 reorganization around laboratories and technology transfer.
What is the difference between KACST and RDIA?
KACST is Saudi Arabia’s national science and technology agency and national-laboratory operator, focused on applied research, technology transfer/localization, and patent-related services. RDIA is the Kingdom’s dedicated research-funding and RDI-policy authority, responsible for setting national research priorities and running competitive grant programs. They are separate bodies with overlapping leadership (as of mid-2026, KACST’s president also serves as RDIA’s Acting Governor) and coordinate closely, but their mandates are distinct.
When was RDIA established, and why?
RDIA was established in 2021 as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reforms, intended to centralize and accelerate national research funding and innovation policy under a single dedicated authority, rather than distributing that role across multiple institutions.
Does KACST still run the Saudi patent office function?
KACST has historically evaluated and processed patent grants in Saudi Arabia and continues to provide patent- and IP-related services connected to its research and technology-transfer mandate. Anyone needing current, authoritative detail on patent filing procedures should confirm directly with KACST’s official channels, since administrative processes can change.
Where can I find current KACST or RDIA funding opportunities?
For competitive national research grants, check RDIA’s official site (rdia.gov.sa) directly for current calls, eligibility, and deadlines. For laboratory partnerships, technology-transfer inquiries, or KACST-specific programs, check KACST’s official site (kacst.gov.sa). Because both organizations update programs on a recurring cycle, treat any third-party summary — including this guide — as a starting point, not a substitute for the current official call text.
Note on sourcing: KACST’s founding date, 1985 renaming, and RDIA’s 2021 establishment are well-documented and stable historical facts. Details of the 2023 reorganization (Cabinet Decision No. 511) and RDIA’s current program structure are accurate as of mid-2026 reporting but, as with any actively administered national funding program, are subject to change — verify current specifics against KACST’s and RDIA’s official sites before relying on them for a live application or agreement.
