A wave of hands-on discovery and scientific storytelling marked the participation of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) students in OceanQuest’s inaugural odyssey — the “Around Africa Expedition.”
The voyage marked an important step in expanding KAUST’s engagement in deep-sea research, strengthened through its partnership with OceanQuest — a collaboration designed to amplify training, exploration and international visibility in marine science.
“It was an inspiring experience to live, work and collaborate with my colleagues from all around Africa,” said Ali Alabyadh, a Ph.D. candidate in the Marine Microbiomes Lab led by KAUST Professor Raquel Peixoto. He added: “We learned a lot together and from each other, and we were exposed to different disciplines of ocean science.”
Launched in January 2025, three KAUST Ph.D. candidates joined early-career scientists from across the globe, with a strong focus on African representation, aboard the state-of-the-art research vessel RV OceanXplorer. Organized in partnership with OceanX, OceanQuest’s first deep-sea expedition combined research, practical training and science communication. The initiative, led by OceanQuest and supported by KAUST, reflects a shared commitment to next-generation talent development and advancing ocean science in alignment with the Saudi Vision 2030.
