Fall 2025 Graduates
Each year, there are a handful of KGSP students that graduate after a Fall term rather than the typical timeline of graduating after a Spring term. These students often have smaller graduation ceremonies planned by their universities upon completion of their degree, but their achievement is just as notable as it is for students who graduate in the Spring. The following six KGSP students completed their degree after the fall 2025 semester:
Ali Bo Khamseen – B.S. in Physics from the University of Texas at Austin
Mohammed Babgi – B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University
Mohamed Alherz – B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Abdulaziz Aljuaid – B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ahmed Al Karam – B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ahmed Alcassab – B.S. in Computer Science from Rice University
Graduating from university gives students an opportunity to reflect on the previous 4+ years of hard work and how they have grown as young adults and professionals in their chosen field. A few of these graduates agreed to share highlights from their experience as an undergraduate student to the greater KGSP community.
Ahmed Al Karam

What advice would you give to your freshman self?
“I would tell myself not to measure success by comparison, put myself out there to pursue new opportunities, and always keep a positive mindset. I’d also remind myself to make the most out of the resources available to me and to realize that experiences outside the classroom are just as important as those inside it.”

What's your favorite memory from your time as an undergraduate student?
“Some of my favorite memories from my time as an undergraduate include attending the Atlanta convocation, where I had the opportunity to meet many new people. I also cherish the memories I made visiting friends who study at different universities and exploring new cities together.”
Ali Bo Khamseen

Was there a class, professor, or enrichment opportunity that had a big impact on you?
“When I first started thinking about my future, it quickly became clear that developing a specialty is what creates a real competitive edge. What ultimately set my research path in motion was cold-emailing professors. It took me over a year to learn an important lesson: you have to reach out to a lot of people—on the order of dozens, not just a handful. Once I found a professor willing to mentor me, I spent the next year and a half doing “exploratory” work. That period of exploration led directly to my first genuine research project, where I was able to answer questions barely anyone on the planet could ask.”

Mohammed Babgi

What advice would you give to your freshman self?
“A piece of advice I'd give my freshman year self is learn how to identify allies early and make yourself one to those around you. There were many times that I felt like I couldn't do it anymore and lost the drive to keep trying, and it was always my allies that pushed me get back up and try again to become the person I wanted to be. Having dependable people to ask for help helped me keep moving forward, and I'm so glad I did.”
What was your proudest moment during your undergrad years?
“One of my proudest moments was hitting E-Stop button at the end of my final presentation demo for my capstone project. It was the culmination of the project that made me know for certain I would love working as an engineer, and it was a success. When the machine worked as anticipated it felt like the conclusion that all those classes I had taken over the years were leading up to. Getting familiar with the direct impact of my work more than ever before during the project made that moment all the more meaningful, and that is something that I want to pursue in everything I do going forward.”
The KGSP Team congratulates each of these Fall 2025 graduates on their remarkable achievement! We cannot wait to see what the future holds for each of you as you continue this journey.
STUDENT PROFILE
KGSP students represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s future scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and thought-leaders. As both individuals and as a community, they reflect the KAUST mission of driving scientific discovery through excellence in education and cutting-edge research, and share a commitment to fostering innovation, economic development, and social prosperity throughout the Kingdom and the world.
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
Selection to the KGSP is extremely competitive, and currently by invitation only. Successful applicants are Saudi Arabian students in their final year of high school who demonstrate impressive academic credentials within STEM fields, meaningful extra-curricular achievements, and who share the KAUST ethos of continuous discovery. Learn more here.
KGSP ADMINISTRATION
The KGSP is administered by KAUST Academy under the leadership of Dr. Sultan Al-Barakati. KAUST Academy is mandated by KAUST to support the acceleration of Saudi Arabia's knowledge-based economy by providing world class training programs in emerging technologies aligned with Vision 2030. KAUST Academy crafts these unique learning interventions by exporting the intellectual DNA acquired by KAUST for the benefit of the entire Kingdom.
—King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud
1924 – 2015










