Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid Al-Falih reviewed the National Science, Technology and Innovation Plan (NSTIP) of the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Al-Falih is also chairman of the board of directors of KACST.
The discussions took place at KACST headquarters recently with the participation of KACST President Prince Turki bin Saud bin Mohammed Al-Saud and other key officials of the city. 
Besides reviewing the KACST plan for the National Transformation Program as part of Vision 2030, participants at the meeting also discussed the organizational structure of the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology, and the city’s budget for the fiscal year 1438/1439. 
The Kingdom has developed a long-term vision for science, technology and innovation (STI) to create a “knowledge-based economy and society through a globally competitive national STI ecosystem,” thus achieving the Kingdom’s strategic goal of becoming one of the advanced countries in science, technology and innovation by 2025. 
One of the factors hopefully ensuring the achievement of this ambitious vision is the ongoing and growing support of the government for the STI sector and its determination to engage the Kingdom’s natural resources-based economy in comprehensive economic development, fueled with innovation and creativity, where the growing national human potential is invested according to a sound strategic plan.
Accordingly, the Royal Decree issued in 1406H (1985) directed KACST to “propose a national policy for the development of science, technology, and innovation, in addition to developing the necessary strategy and plan to implement this policy.”
KACST’s achievements in this context began with the development of “the National Policy for Science and Technology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” which was approved by the Council of Ministers in 1423H (2002).
It will embody the Kingdom’s vision and its fundamental strategic plans, ensuring the continuous sustained developmental efforts to enhance STI ecosystem activities, while providing a framework of appropriate priorities, and options.
To ensure the achievement of the national policy of science and technology strategy strategies, a national science, technology and innovation plan (NSTIP) was developed. 
The NSTIP consists of eight strategic programs diverging into a number of projects to be co-executed by all national public and private Saudi economic sectors, so as to ensure the realization of the Kingdom’s long-term vision, which reflects the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in building a “knowledge-based economy and society through a world competitive national STI ecosystem” by 2025.
These regulations are part of a series of publications of the NSTIP General Secretariat, aiming to organize the administrative, technical and financial procedures of the national science, technology and innovation plan, and to determine the commitments and responsibilities of all parties involved with the implementation of its programs and projects.

Source: Arab News