Starting January 2025, we’re introducing an update to your KAUST alumni email address. Your current email format (e.g., example@kaust.edu.sa) will transition to a new format: example@alumni.kaust.edu.sa. This change aligns with data privacy guidelines and helps clearly distinguish active KAUST users from alumni.
What This Means for You:
New Email Creation: Beginning January 1, 2025, your new email address (e.g., example@alumni.kaust.edu.sa). The accounts will be created in batches, and you will receive an activation email once it’s ready.
Share Your New Contact Information: After activation, please share your new contact details with your peers and colleagues to stay connected.
Old Email Deactivation: Your existing @kaust.edu.sa email account will remain accessible until June 30, 2026, after which it will be permanently deactivated and deleted. While emails, contacts, and calendar data will migrate seamlessly to your new account, please note that Google Drive data will not be migrated and will be permanently deleted by June 30, 2026.
Next Steps:
After activating your new email, please ensure you back up any important files from Google Drive as this data will not be transferred to Microsoft 365. You will have access to your current Google Drive until June 30, 2026, to save essential files before permanent deletion.
Please Note: The new Microsoft 365 platform will provide 15GB of storage for your emails and contacts.
Yes, currently all alumni access their emails via Gmail on Google Workspace. The new platform will be Exchange Online on Microsoft 365.
No, there is no need to back up your emails or data. The migration will be seamless, and all your information will remain intact. Kindly note this migration scope is only for email, not Drive data, and KAUST is no longer providing Drive storage for Alumni users.
Migration for all alumni users will take a few months. If you don’t receive a notification by June 30, 2025. Please contact kems@kaust.edu.sa.
The new url for the email is mail.alumni.kaust.edu.sa.
The domain change will begin on January 1, 2025, with alumni users being migrated in batches. You will be notified before and after your batch is migrated.
Yes, your email address will change from firstname.lastname@kaust.edu.sa to firstname.lastname@alumni.kaust.edu.sa. However, your email prefix will remain the same.
You will continue to have access to your @kaust.edu.sa mailbox until the end of June 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM (UTC+3).
No, you will not lose access to your emails. The migration process ensures a seamless transition with minimal disruption. However, access to KAUST Google Workspace will be revoked on June 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM (UTC+3).
Each user will receive up to 15GB of email storage on the new Microsoft 365 platform. Please note that only email services will be provided on this platform.
The change to the alumni.kaust.edu.sa domain is part of KAUST’s efforts to enhance data privacy, records management, and cybersecurity. It also helps preserve the kasut.edu.sa domain for active students, employees, and consultants.
Once the migration is completed, you can set up an auto-response (Vacation Responder) in your Google Workspace email (example@kaust.edu.sa) to notify senders of your new email (example@alumni.kaust.edu.sa).
Log in to Gmail, go to Settings > See all settings > General, scroll to Vacation Responder, enable it, and enter a message like: "My email has changed to example@alumni.kaust.edu.sa. Please update your records." Save the changes to ensure all senders are informed.
Once the migration is complete, it’s important to inform your contacts of your new email address to ensure uninterrupted communication.
Yes, for detailed information and procedures you can check KAUST visit page at: https://www.kaust.edu.sa/en/visit/alumni-retired-staff.
You need to obtain a Saudi Arabian police clearance prior to exiting KAUST and the Kingdom. It is not possible to obtain after you have completed a final exit from KSA.
Please contact KAUST Government Affairs as soon as you begin to prepare for your exit from KAUST.
The KAUST Alumni Chapters are currently located in Saudi Arabia and China. We are planning to launch chapters in North America and Europe in 2025 and also regional networks throughout the globe soon. To learn more visit our Chapters page or contact the Office of Alumni Affairs directly.