Not surprisingly, the Saudi media is providing heavy coverage of the groundbreaking at King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST.

Arab News gives its story prime place on the front page: ‘We Want KAUST to Reach MIT Level’. This pieces is based on an interview with the Interim University President Nadhmi Al-Nasr, who sees the university developing into a new MIT or Stanford within the next ten years. It also runs an editorial expressing hopes that the university will act as a catalyst to revitalize Arab and Islamic roles in science: Editorial: ‘Lighthouse of Knowledge’.

Saudi Gazette has only a short piece on the opening (King lays University Foundation Today), but a longer one on how the student body is expected to develop, from a first class of 500, growing to a total student population of around 2,000: KAUST to be Ultra-Exclusive.