KAUST Named FIFA’s First Research Institute In Middle East & Asia

FIFA has designated King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) as its first research institute in the Middle East and Asia, making it the fifth FIFA Research Institute worldwide.

The designation supports the development of football-related research through programmes that integrate sport, academic research and industry collaboration. The accreditation also aligns with national efforts to strengthen research and development and advance the knowledge economy under Saudi Vision 2030, particularly in relation to innovation in the sports sector.

Initial projects under the designation include the development of artificial intelligence algorithms to analyse historical FIFA World Cup broadcast footage. The project aims to convert decades of match videos into structured, searchable datasets using computer vision techniques applied to archived material.

A second initiative uses player and ball tracking data from the FIFA World Cup 2022 and the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 to build comprehensive datasets examining in-game dynamics. The research focuses on human movement, playing techniques and performance patterns through AI-driven analytical models.

With the designation, KAUST joins FIFA’s global research network aimed at advancing scientific methodologies in football, contributing to performance analysis, data systems and broader innovation in the sport.