King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center

In the areas of energy, the environment, economics, markets, society, technology and policy, KAPSARC engages in both in-house, independent research as well as collaborative studies with similar centers around the world. By leveraging Saudi Arabia’s pre-eminence in the global energy arena in its quest for knowledge, KAPSARC can realize its vision of becoming a premier center for energy and environmental research and policy studies and foster Saudi Arabia’s role as an environmentally responsible energy supplier.

KAPSARC embraces a number of characteristics that are known to distinguish innovative and productive research organizations. This institutional culture fosters an environment that is conducive to bringing out the best in staff members who are engaged in knowledge-oriented activities.

• Merit is the basis for judging research proposals and outputs, staff performance and advancement, and other operational decision making.
• Flexible leadership guides research and outreach activities.
• Team-based research is employed for the majority of projects in order to solve challenging energy and environmental issues, and to realize the benefits of diverse viewpoints, multidisciplinary approaches, mentoring and other forms of collaboration.
• Secure funding allows researchers to pursue their analytical activities without devoting resources to raising capital.
• Responsibility, as a central value among staff members, promotes the integrity of research activities and enables the Center to seek solutions that serve humanity.
• Transparency, built into processes throughout the Center, facilitates informed decision making that is based on the Center’s clear vision and mission.
• Ongoing learning opportunities are provided for all staff through a variety of mechanisms, including education, training and mentoring programs.
• Experimentation is encouraged to create new knowledge and identify meaningful solutions to problems.
• Networks are continually being developed both within Saudi Arabia and abroad, that connect KAPSARC researchers to their peers.
• Nondiscrimination and equal opportunity guides hiring, allocation of project assignments and career advancement.
• Respect for intellectual property is endorsed and exercised by researchers.
• Effective time management practices are developed and followed to allow researchers to increase time allocated to research.
• Human resources best practices are implemented to improve the Center’s ability to attract, retain and empower its staff.
• Advanced facilities, equipment and information access have been furnished to KAPSARC staff to support industry-leading research and provide a model for other centers to emulate.