New fuel-transfer agreement between Saudi university, Apsco to advance SAF adoption

Photo: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia announced Nov. 30 that it has entered into a new material-transfer agreement with the Arabian Petroleum Supply Co. (Apsco), under which Apsco will supply KAUST with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for research on next-generation low-emission fuels.  

The collaboration comes at a critical time for the aviation industry.

Under the ReFuelEU sviation regulations, airlines are required to use a 2 percent SAF blend by 2025, increasing to 6 percent by 2030 and 70 percent by 2050—targets that remain out of reach with today’s fuel technologies.

Meanwhile, global SAF demand is expected to surge from 2 million metric tons in 2025 to 10 million in 2030 and 75 million by 2040. 

Professors Mani Sarathy, Thibault Guiberti, Aamir Farooq and Hong Im will lead the research, which will focus on the chemical properties, reaction pathways and combustion behavior of the provided fuels.

The new data on fuel behavior, emissions characteristics and performance metrics will build a comprehensive database that will develop models for the creation of future SAF formulations of higher efficiency and lower environmental impact.  

“This partnership allows us to combine world-class experimental facilities with advanced artificial intelligence to fundamentally reimagine how sustainable aviation fuels are designed,” Sarathy said. “Using the new data generated, our models will help identify efficient, cleaner and more scalable fuel formulations that can support the aviation sector’s ambitious climate goals.” 

Globally, the aviation industry is increasingly turning to create predictive models for fuel behavior from partial datasets, reducing development cycles from years to months.

Beyond fuel design, the project will help bridge critical knowledge gaps that currently slow SAF adoption worldwide, from understanding emissions behavior to assessing how fuels perform across a range of operating environments.

By answering these fundamental questions, the partnership will enable industry and regulators to make faster, more informed decisions about future SAF deployment. 

“This collaboration with KAUST marks an important milestone for Apsco and for the future of sustainable aviation in the kingdom,” said Apsco CEO Azzam Qari. “As the global aviation sector moves rapidly toward lower-carbon solutions, investing in local research and national capabilities in SAF is no longer optional, it is strategic. Through this agreement, our role goes beyond supplying fuel for testing—we are helping build the scientific and technical foundation that can enable Saudi-developed SAF technologies in the years ahead.” 

As Saudi Arabia expands its aviation network and explores domestic SAF production opportunities, the ability to test and validate fuel properties within the kingdom scientifically becomes increasingly essential.

Building local research infrastructure accelerates certification, supports national sustainability targets and strengthens the country’s position in the future global aviation-fuel market.

With research facilities already in place, KAUST will provide the scientific foundation needed to accelerate domestic SAF research in the kingdom, supporting the goals of the Saudi aviation strategy to advance low-carbon, next-generation energy technologies.