First U.S.-Saudi Joint Commission Meeting on Science and

UNCLAS RIYADH 000659


DEPT FOR NEA/ARP AND OES

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL TSPL KTIA KSCA ECON SA
SUBJECT: First U.S.-Saudi Joint Commission Meeting on Science and
Technology Cooperation Meets in Riyadh


1. SUMMARY: Delegates from U.S. and Saudi technical agencies met
in Riyadh May 11-12, 2009, to attend the first Joint Commission
Meeting under the auspices of the United States-Saudi Arabia
Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation, signed in December,

2008. The primary result of this meeting was a roadmap for
developing S&T-based capabilities in a broad range of disciplines.
The two delegations also placed strong emphasis on stimulating
innovative high technology and scientific entrepreneurship. One
early outcome is that a follow-on conference and workshop on S&T
cooperation focusing on entrepreneurship is tentatively planned for
fall or early winter 2009 in Washington to be hosted by the National
Academies. END SUMMARY.


2. A total of 14 representatives from State, USAID, USG technical
agencies, Embassy Riyadh, and private sector entities comprised the
U.S. delegation, headed by Bruce Howard, OES Bureau Director of
Science and Technology Cooperation. Over 80 participants from
comparable Saudi ministries and public and private organizations
attended the event, headed by Prince Turki al-Saud, Vice President
of the King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST),the
Saudi institution that combines the role of ministry and funding
agency for scientific R&D.


3. The meeting's agenda focused on specific topical areas
including: National Science, Technology, and Innovation Priorities;
Needs and Opportunities for Business, Innovation, and Manufacturing;
Health, Bioscience, and Biotechnology; Water, Agriculture, and
Environment; Space, Aeronautics, and Remote Sensing; Oil, Gas, and
Energy; Materials, Nanotechnology, and Petrochemicals; and
Electronics and Information Technology.


4. The meeting was organized around plenary sessions for
presentations from both delegations followed by in-depth exchanges
in discussion groups for each of the topical areas. For these, the
charge to the discussion groups was to assess current bilateral
work, proposals for new or expanded collaboration, and
identification of action agencies on each side. The meeting
concluded with reports from each group summarizing its expectations
for future cooperation. The meeting's Joint Statement, to be issued
shortly following clearance by each side, will include these reports
and overall plans for future collaboration across the range of S&T
disciplines. This Joint Statement will be available to interested
USG offices and agencies: POC: OES/STC Ken Ferguson,
fergusonkp@state.gov, tel: 202-663-3233.


5. Saudi delegates and leadership expressed their satisfaction with
the results of this JCM, coming so soon after the signing of the S&T
Cooperation Agreement and ensuring in their view the continuing
momentum of the Saudi-U.S. S&T partnership. While bilateral S&T
activities have existed in a number of fields for years, they look
forward to significant expansion of S&T cooperation soon.


6. Members of the U.S. delegation included:
- Bruce Howard, Department of State
- Ken Ferguson, Department of State
- Fernando Echavarria, Department of State
- Louise Mariegaard, Department of State
- Miriam Schwedt, U.S. Embassy, Riyadh
- Manu Bhalla, Regional Environment Office, U.S. Embassy Amman
- Eric Viala, USAID, Cairo
- Tom Jennings, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of Interior
- Dennis Woodward, US Geological Survey, Department of Interior
- Terrence Onsager, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Ibrahim Shaqir, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
- Charles Wessner, The National Academies
- Peter Hoffman, The Boeing Company
- Albert Jones, Civilian Research and Development Foundation


7. The text of a press release prepared at the conclusion of the
meeting follows:

Press Statement for the U.S.-Saudi Arabia Joint Committee Meeting of
the Science and Technology Agreement

Saudi Arabian and U.S. science and technology thought leaders met
May 11-12 in Riyadh to discuss ongoing bilateral S&T cooperation and
determine priorities and opportunities for the future. The meeting
was the first to take place under the new U.S.-KSA Agreement on
Science and Technology Cooperation signed in December 2008 by the
King Abdul Aziz City of Science and Technology (KACST) and the U.S.
Department of State. Participants identified priorities and
opportunities in topical scientific areas including:
-- Water, Environment and Agriculture
-- Space, Remote Sensing and Aeronautics
-- Entrepreneurship and Commercialization of Innovative Science and
Technology
-- Health
-- Energy, Oil and Gas
-- Materials and Nanotechnology
-- Information Technology and Telecommunications

A U.S. delegation of 16 representatives from a variety of technical
U.S. government agencies and business and approximately 80
representatives from technical agencies and businesses in the
Kingdom attended the meeting. Co-chairs were Dr. Prince Turki
al-Saud, Vice President of KACST, and Mr. Bruce Howard, Director of
the Office of Science and Technology Cooperation in the U.S.
Department of State.

The co-chairs outlined the national plans for investment in S&T
research and development for both nations followed by detailed
discussions of ongoing work in the seven topic areas. A special
presentation on technological innovation and entrepreneurship was
presented by U.S. expert Dr. Charles Wessner, Director of Innovation
Policy at the National Academy of Sciences.

In each of the topic areas, participants heard presentations on
existing programs and discussed future collaborations. The water,
environment and agriculture group, for example, expressed strong
interest in future opportunities include stimulating crop
production, using agricultural practices and developing plant
species that are conducive to water conservation and management, and
resistance to soil salinity and drought. There are several areas
of mutual research interest regarding livestock and crop diseases
and other pests that impact food productivity. Representatives from
KACST and the U.S. Department of Agriculture agreed to undertake
further planning and design programs for their implementation in the
near future.

The meeting concluded with a general agreement on next steps across
the various areas of S&T cooperation. Some examples include:

-- Representatives from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had
successful discussions with Saudi counterparts on imminent plans for
cooperation within their fields of interest.

-- Dr. Charles Wessner, Director of Innovation Policy at the U.S.
National Academies of Science agreed in principle with Dr. Prince
Turki to convene workshops on innovation policy and S&T cooperation
and commercialization in either the Kingdom or the United States.

-- Along with government entities, private sector American
corporations including Boeing Corp. , Aramco, and the Civilian
Research and Development Foundation took part in the meeting and
expressed interest in further discussions with KACST regarding
alternative energy and developing S&T public-private partnerships.

-- Other break-out groups identified potential partners for future
collaboration.

End text of press release.


8. This message has been cleared by Post and the delegation.


RUNDEL