King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) is a research and consulting center in energy economics and global sustainability. It provides consulting services to organizations and entities in the Saudi energy sector. Located in Riyadh, the center is an independent, not-for-profit research institution.
Establishment of King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center
The center was established in 2007 by a resolution of the Council of Ministers and officially opened in 2016 in Riyadh. It has a Board of Trustees representing the highest authority and chaired by the Minister of Energy. The center also has an International Advisory Board that includes a group of energy experts from various nationalities to advise on the center's programs and research projects. It includes over 150 experts in energy economics from more than twenty nationalities. KAPSARC is funded through an endowment allocated by Saudi Arabia to conduct its research independently.
Objectives of King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center
KAPSARC conducts international cooperative research on the economic aspects, impacts, technologies, and policies of energy, as well as the environment. The center also contributes to the development of local and global studies specializing in all types of energy, such as solar and wind, in collaboration with Saudi and international universities and research centers.
Research Conducted by King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center
KAPSARC conducts its research in six key areas: markets and industrial development, policy sciences and decision-making, energy and electricity transitions, climate change and environment, transportation and urban infrastructure, macroeconomics, and energy systems.
The center has several research initiatives, including the evaluation of public investment projects, the future of transportation and fuel demand, regional energy markets, climate change policies and governance, the future of global oil markets, the future of natural gas markets, electricity sector transformations, in addition to economic, energy, production, and economic distribution weaknesses, and the development of models, tools, and data for research.
The center provides free access to data and tools, with 1,400 databases on energy, economics, and environment topics.
Partnerships of King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center
KAPSARC collaborates with numerous research institutions, organizations, and universities inside and outside the Kingdom. These include the Arabian Gulf University in Bahrain, the Atlantic Council, the Center for International and Strategic Studies in the United States, the National Oil Technology and Economy Research Institute, the Energy Research Institute in China, Imperial College in the United Kingdom, Khalifa University of Science and Technology in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, the World Bank, King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, the Ministry of Economy and Planning, Saudi Aramco, etc.
Research Position of King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center
The center received platinum certifications for sustainable building design and construction in 2014 and 2016, and over 190 certifications for sustainable residential units, making it the first and largest sustainable residential project to be created outside North America. The U.S. Green Building Council classified KAPSARC as the largest sustainable neighborhood development project in the Middle East by awarding it a leadership certificate in sustainable building design that aligns with the highest energy and environmental standards in 2017.
KAPSARC ranked fifteenth in the list of the top research centers in MENA. It secured position thirteen among the best research centers specializing in energy policies worldwide in 2020, according to the annual global ranking of research centers and civil society organizations published by the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.
In August 2022, the U.S. Green Building Council awarded KAPSARC five Platinum certifications in the Facilities Management category for operations and maintenance, in accordance with the highest environmental conservation standards and a rating exceeding eighty points, relying on sustainable energy sources.
During the eighth edition of the OPEC International Seminar held in Vienna, Austria, in July 2023, the center was awarded the OPEC Prize for the Best Energy Research Center and the OPEC Award for the Best Energy Research Paper for 2023. These two awards are the first of their kind to be presented by OPEC.
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