RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA: 11 November 2014 - Thomson Reuters, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, today announced a strategic partnership with the University of Dammam (UOD) to drive the visibility, prestige and international standing of the university’s academic research output in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The partnership was announced at a signing ceremony attended by His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Rubaish, President, University Of Dammam, Professor Abdulsalam Al-Sulaiman, Vice-President for Higher Studies & Research, and Dr. Naif Al-Masoud, Dean of Scientific Research.

As part of the partnership, Thomson Reuters will consolidate historic academic research attributable to UOD and provide periodic benchmarking reports to measure progress and impact of UOD’s academic output against national and international peers.

Furthermore, Thomson Reuters will create a world-class Research Management Infrastructure that handles all aspects of the workflow including peer review, submissions, publication, fund allocation and evaluation.

His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Rubaish, President, University Of Dammam said: “We are glad to announce this strategic partnership with Thomson Reuters a global leader in the provision of content, technology and expertise to academic institutions, governments and corporations. As part of the agreement, UOD will roll out a long-term strategic plan to develop the international reputation and prestige of its academic output.”

Nadim Najjar, Managing Director, Middle East and North Africa, Thomson Reuters, commented: “Thomson Reuters have built an unparalleled community of researchers, professionals and innovators around the world, who rely on the accuracy and authority of our content.”

He added: “We have enjoyed a sustained presence in the MENA region for over 30 years, with a strong local presence in Saudi Arabia. We are committed to working with key academic, governmental and industry bodies to develop a leading innovation ecosystem in the region. We see the UOD as an integral participant in this effort and we look forward to leveraging our reputation and expertise throughout this strategic agreement.”

Yassir Touhami Chahdi, Head of IP&Science, Middle East, Africa and Russia, said: “We are delighted to be part of this project which demonstrates a clear intent to enhance UOD’s academic output, faculty branding, visibility and international credibility of scientific research.”

“Thomson Reuters have been helping leading institutions to accelerate their science, technology and innovation policies in Saudi Arabia and across the globe. The King Abdullah City for Science and Technology (KACST) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) are examples of these strategic partnerships.”

Thomson Reuters is a core content and technology provider to leading IP bodies such as the US Patent Office and European Patent Office, and have long standing relationships with industry leaders such as Google, GSK and Unilever.

The Times Higher Education rankings are based on Thomson Reuters data and analysis, and are the only global university performance tables to rank world-class universities across all of their core missions including teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.