R I C

Welcome to Research And Initiatives Center

Sun-Thu: 8 am to 3 pm - Sat-Fri: Closed

Advisory Board

Entrepreneurship Advisory Board

Guiding Innovation, Research, and Strategic Impact.

Overview

The Advisory Board of the Research and Initiatives Center at Prince Sultan University was established in October 2025. The Board held its primary welcoming meeting to introduce its vision, objectives, and strategic role in guiding the Center’s initiatives in research, innovation, and commercialization.

The Board brings together distinguished members from academia, industry, health and government sectors to provide strategic guidance, foster collaboration, and support the Center’s mission in advancing innovation and entrepreneurship in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.

Vision and Strategic Objectives

  • Guide the Center’s strategic direction in research and innovation.
  • Strengthen partnerships with public and private sectors.
  • Support research commercialization and innovation funding.
  • Promote a culture of entrepreneurship within the university.

Board Members

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Dr. Dhafer Almakhles

RIC Director

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Dr. Ahmed Abu Salah

Director of the Health Intelligence Center, KFSH

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Dr. Ameen Abadi

Director of RPDC

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Mr. Bader Al-Salhan

CEO of TechShop

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Dr. Sultan Arab

Faculty Member, Prince Sultan University

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Mr. Salman Butt

Co-Founder at KnowledgeX

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Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Aradhi

Head of Legal Affairs of General Authority for Media Regulation

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Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Hilali

Faculty Member, Prince Sultan University

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Ms. Ahed Al-Ghatbar

Ministry of Defense

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Mr. Faisal Al-Almakhles

Executive Director of Torod

Highlights & Meetings

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The First Advisory Board Meeting

The first Advisory Board meeting was held in October 2025 at Prince Sultan University. The Board discussed key opportunities to enhance innovation and research commercialization at the university. Members emphasized the need to link faculty advancement to successful research commercialization, strengthen applied research environments, and close existing gaps in Technology Readiness Levels. Recommendations included establishing a dedicated fund to support post-research development and early-stage commercialization, enhancing entrepreneurial culture among faculty and students, and creating an incubation model that provides flexible, practical support for emerging projects. The Board also suggested developing a digital platform to track research projects and their commercialization progress. The meeting concluded with an agreement to develop an operational plan based on these recommendations, followed by a tour of the research labs and facilities.

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Guiding Innovation, Research, and Strategic Impact — Coming 2026

Date & Time: To be announced.
This session will bring together university leadership, industry partners and advisory board members to review progress, discuss commercialization pathways, and set priorities for 2026–2027. The programme will include plenary discussions, working groups, and a tour of research labs.

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