The Desert Agriculture Center in King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in collaboration with the US Lockheed Martin Corp. organized a workshop on coordination of aquaculture technology, in presence of international experts and representatives from different government and private sectors in the Kingdom.

The workshop was held at the University Headquarters in Thuwal on Sunday, 8/18/2013. In 2012, Lockheed Martin announced its entry into industrial cooperation program with the university in preparation for joint work in specialized research to promote cooperation between them. This included a range of vital and important areas related to aquaculture research.

This unique collaboration between the University and the global leading company comes after the company has signed a memorandum of mutual cooperation, a year ago, with the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in Riyadh, in order to achieve a significant leap in the research and technology sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in response to the higher directions from the government in this regard.

According to what was stated on Lockheed Martin site, "Under this new partnership, Lockheed Martin will conduct joint research with King Abdullah University on a number of projects related to advanced technologies such as, non-molten nano polymer technology, aquatic animals, and unmanned underwater vehicles.

Concerning the new partnership, Dr. John Evans, vice president of Lockheed Martin for Technology stated: "We are honored in Lockheed Martin to hold a new partnership with one of the most prestigious universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to develop innovative technologies."

The headquarters for Lockheed Martin lies in Bethesda, Maryland, United States. It is an international company specializing in the field of aviation and security solutions. It has approximately 120 thousand employees around the world, and its work is based mainly on the research, design, development and manufacture of highly advanced and sustainable technological products, services and systems. In 2011, the company has achieved sales worth up to $ 46.5 billion.