RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has given permission to construct a new laboratory building for the King Abdullah Institute for Nanotechnology (KAIN) that will run under King Saud University (KSU) at Riyadh Technology Valley.

In making the announcement, KSU President Abdullah Al-Othman commented, “KSU has laid down the infrastructure for the laboratories in which 30 researchers and post-graduate students will carry out research.”

Research at KAIN will cover areas of particular interest to the kingdom, such as seawater desalination, renewable energy and the treatment of diseases such as cancer and diabetes, said the University President.

The institute has also set up an academic council comprising 12 globally renowned scientists, including three Nobel laureates.

Al-Othman said he hopes the construction of a special KAIN building at Riyadh Technology Valley would enable researchers in different fields to meet at a single place and provide them with an opportunity to build team spirit and enhance the quality of their research.

“The building, which will house a number of advanced laboratories, has an area of 8,000 square meters. The actual laboratories will cover 4,000 square meters, and the administration offices will use up 1,000 square meters. Store rooms will use 1,000 square meters, workstations 1,500 square meters and utilities 500 square meters,” Al-Othman said.