KAUST offers a unique research and personal experience. Here are some reasons why suitably qualified researchers and students should join the EGEL group at KAUST – as written by our own students and postdocs:

1. Research culture: People come from all over the world to research at KAUST and our group is a reflection of this. Our group currently has postdocs, staff and students from approximately 10 different nationalities and backgrounds.

We are devoted to our research. Our group addresses five major research themes listed below:

1) Carbonates: causal links between formation, drilling events and production; matrix permeability and hydro-mechanical coupling in fractures.

2) Geo-Characterization: electromagnetic properties of oil-brine-filled carbonates at radio-frequencies, laboratory characterization of seismic frequencies, well completion and magnetic characterization (4th generation magnetic sensors), enhanced acoustic imaging of oil seeps, thermal properties and seafloor characterization using multi-modular probe techniques.

3)  Enhanced resource recovery: pore-scale studies of hydro-chemo-mechanical coupled processes in mixed fluid flow conditions leading to engineered resource recovery.

4)  Pre-structured & Fractured reservoirs: seismic, thermal, mechanical properties; hydraulic fractures; passive monitoring; coupled processes.

5)  Phenomena:

• Repetitive Loading: Deformation accumulation, ratcheting and terminal density during hydro, chemo, thermo and mechanical repetitive loads.
  
• Dissolution-precipitation: in sediments and fractures; diagenesis.
  

2. World class research facilities and equipment access: our group has developed an exceptional laboratory facility. A good complement to our lab work are the Core Laboratories, the Central Machine Shop and Campus Library which has over 310,000 e-book titles and access to over 50,000 major scientific and commercial journals.

3. Housing and campus life: we live on a safe and secure campus in fully furnished homes that are close to the campus. In fact, no one lives more than a 5 minute drive (or a leisurely 10 minute cycle ride) away from our offices and research space. We also have a dedicated KAUST Government Affairs office on campus that facilitates the process of obtaining Entry/Exist Visas and other key paperwork. KAUST provides a Diner (cafeteria) open 24/7 with at least 10 different meal options per day available at a low cost.

4. A unique location in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia offers a unique history and landscape that is not accessible to the vast majority of people. There are regular Red Sea snorkeling and diving trips that depart from KAUST and regular organized tours of Jeddah and other parts of Saudi Arabia.  Jeddah airport is only one hour away and has direct flights to a large number of European destinations and the rest of the Middle East.

5. International schools and daycare: The KAUST School runs an International Baccalaureate Program for children from K1 upwards. Schooling is free. Daycare is available and subsidized for children up to 4 years.

6. Recreation facilities and a cinema: free gyms, swimming pools, tennis, squash and badminton courts, bowling and a rock climbing wall among others sports are at your disposal. There’s a wide variety of exercise classes and groups that run activities ranging from photography, to playgroups to rugby – and all points in between!