I wish to update you on the status of the KAUST reopening plan.

As you are aware, we moved into Phase 2 of the plan a week ago, and I'm happy to say that it has been a successful effort by the whole community.

During the initial stage of Phase 2, we have removed the campus curfew and permitted some social activities for the community. We have monitored the level of compliance with the ongoing controls and the Keep KAUST Safe campaign throughout the week, and I wish to thank you for your cooperation throughout this period.

We have also continued to monitor the health data for the region and for nearby Jeddah during this period. In light of an increase number of daily COVID-19 cases recorded in Jeddah and taking account of the new Government restrictions for Jeddah from tomorrow to help control the virus there, we have taken the decision to pause the further roll-out of the KAUST reopening plan for now.

We will stay in the initial Phase 2 stage of the KAUST reopening plan for at least another week, with a further update on the status of the KAUST reopening plan scheduled for June 12.

The Phase 2 Operations and Resumption List will be updated regularly, and any modifications will also be shared with the KAUST community through the "COVID-19 advisory and campus news" email announcements.

During this period, we will continue to monitor both the internal campus health data and the external data specific to Jeddah and our region, so that we are in a position to respond as the figures permit.

In accordance with the Keep KAUST Safe campaign we must remain vigilant in preventing the spread of COVID-19, including:

Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and let me reiterate our appreciation for the community-wide support for our continued efforts to keep KAUST safe.

Let’s continue to stay stronger together.