Saudi Arabia- National Prawn Company and KAUST explore collaboration on research projects
Senior faculty members from King Abudullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST) visited recently the National Prawn Company's extensive aquaculture operations in Al Lith to explore opportunities for collaboration on a variety of mutually beneficial research projects.
The delegation met with Eng. Ahmad R. Al Balla, managing director of NPC, and other members of NPC's senior management, who provided an extensive briefing and tour of the operations.
Dr. Abdullah L. Almojel, VP for University Relations for KAUST, who led the delegation, welcomed the opportunity to collaborate, "I think all the faculty members on the visit were impressed by scientific and engineering rigour that NPC applies to its operations."
Covering an area of approximately 250sq km on the Red Sea Coast in Saudi Arabia the privately owned, NPC is among the largest, fully integrated prawn farms in the world. The company has started a fish farming operation with Greater Amberjack and is also developing what will become one of the world's largest sea cucumber aquaculture operation. In addition to aquaculture, NPC has significant projects in chitin production and phytoplankton development in its Marine Agriculture arm.
NPC engineered the development of its farms from the very beginning taking into account required water flows and minimizing energy usage. In addition, its breeding program is one of the most advanced in the world as the company constantly strives to improve its broodstock. The scientific approach NPC took from its inception in 1982 has resulted in a fully sustainable operation and allowed it to have the R&D expertise to develop new areas of business such as its marine agriculture project.
"We can see opportunities to collaborate across a range of fields from genome research, water management, marine biology and biotechnology. Any projects we develop together will provide value to our departments, our students and the Kingdom as a whole," Dr. Almojel continued.
NPC and KAUST hope to formalize a working relationship in the coming few months.
