Set up and ready, before day one
KAUST IT creates your credentials ahead of your start date, so you can reach your email and essential systems from anywhere, even before you arrive on campus.
Find your welcome email
Your KAUST username arrives by email, with a link to set your password.
Enroll in DUO
Your two-step verification link is sent to your personal email, so you can set it up early.
Sign in from anywhere
Portal, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace work off campus. No VPN needed to get started.
Nothing in your inbox yet? Access is set up around your start date. Contact IT and we will sort it out.
Your first 10 minutes
Five quick steps and you are operational. Tick each one as you go, and watch the ring fill up.
0 of 5 done
Any order works. We will be right here.
Set your KAUST password
Use the username from your welcome email.
Go to mypassword.kaust.edu.sa, enter your KAUST username, and create a strong password you will remember.
Set up DUO two-step verification
It protects your account on every sign-in.
Open the DUO enrollment link sent to your personal email, install the DUO Mobile app, and follow the prompts.
Sign in to your email
Outlook or Gmail, depending on your role.
Which email you use depends on your role:
- Faculty: your email is on Outlook, part of Microsoft 365, unless you specifically requested Gmail. Sign in at outlook.office.com.
- Postdocs and research scientists: your email is on Gmail, through Google Workspace. Sign in at mail.google.com.
Use your full KAUST email address and password, then approve the DUO prompt.
Connect to campus WiFi
Get online the moment you arrive.
On campus, select the KAUST wireless network and sign in with your KAUST credentials.
Open your collaboration tools
Get into Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.
Sign in to portal.office.com for Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, and SharePoint. If your email is on Gmail, drive.google.com gives you Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Meet.
Then, settle in this week
No rush. Open what is useful when you need it. Each tool links to a deeper guide.
Blackboard Ultra is KAUST's learning management system. Manage your courses, post materials, grade assignments, and send announcements. It works from anywhere, no VPN needed. For class sessions, use Blackboard Collaborate inside your course, or any video platform: Teams, Webex, Zoom, or Google Meet.
- OneDrive (25 GB, can be increased to 50 GB) for your personal KAUST files and drafts.
- SharePoint for work you share with your group, lab, or co-authors. Everyone edits one shared version, so there is no chasing the latest copy. kaust.sharepoint.com
- Google Workspace, if your email is on Gmail, gives you Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Meet.
- Microsoft 365 apps (Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) are available to everyone at portal.office.com.
Using a personal device?
You can install the Microsoft 365 and Google apps on a personal phone or computer and sign in with your KAUST account, so you stay reachable and skip a personal subscription. Keep your KAUST work in KAUST storage though: OneDrive, SharePoint, or Google Drive, not scattered across personal devices. When your time at KAUST ends, access ends with it.
KAUST supports four video platforms. All work remotely, all use your KAUST sign-in. Use whichever suits the meeting and the people in it.
- Microsoft Teams
- Cisco Webex
- Zoom
- Google Meet
Your phone extension, anywhere
The Cisco Webex softphone carries your KAUST desk extension on your computer or mobile. On a KAUST device it is usually already installed.
Your KAUST device comes with the essentials pre-installed. For anything else approved, use Software Center (Windows) or Self Service+ (macOS), no admin rights required. Even free tools like Zoom and Chrome go through here.
On a personal device, sign in with your KAUST account to install the Microsoft 365 and Google apps.
The Software Catalog holds additional software beyond what is already on your machine. Some titles need to be purchased, so check what your group already has before requesting.
Most core tools work from anywhere without VPN. You need the KAUST VPN only for internal systems, lab resources, and network drives.
- No VPN needed: KAUST Portal, Microsoft 365, Blackboard, Google Workspace, Webex, Zoom, the Library, and password reset.
- VPN required: lab servers and instruments, Remote Scientific Workstations, network drives, and the IT Service Desk portal.
- VPN: already installed on KAUST devices, or available in Self Service+ and Software Center. On a personal device, go to vpn.kaust.edu.sa, select the Faculty-Researcher group, and the client installs on first connection.
- Single Sign-On lets one KAUST login reach many systems.
KAUST runs a campus-wide secure printing service. Send a job from your device and release it at any participating printer with your badge.
If your work involves high-performance computing, cluster environments, or scientific workstations, KAUST IT supports you and your group.
- Remote Scientific Workstations give you remote desktop access to a powerful KAUST workstation for scientific work. VPN required.
- KAUST GitLab at gitlab.kaust.edu.sa for version control and code collaboration.
- KAUST Library research databases at library.kaust.edu.sa. Off campus, sign in with your KAUST credentials, no VPN needed.
Procuring high-performance GPUs or export-sensitive hardware? Review the approval process before you order, so nothing is held up at customs or purchasing.
For large or protected research datasets, DataWaha and Secure DataWaha provide dedicated research storage. External Data Sharing tools move large datasets to collaborators outside KAUST.
- Faculty Annual Review (FAR) is where your annual review is submitted, accessible remotely without VPN. FAR applies to faculty appointments.
- KAUST Portal is your home for business applications and approvals, at portal.kaust.edu.sa. No VPN required.
- HR Connect for leave requests, payslips, and org charts. iPhone · Android
Your toolkit at a glance
What you have as faculty or a researcher, in one quick reference.
Stay secure, without the headache
A few habits keep you and KAUST safe. Most of it runs quietly in the background.
DUO every time
Approve the prompt on every sign-in, on or off VPN. Set up a backup method so you are never locked out.
Lock and protect
Lock your device when you step away, and never share your password with anyone.
Spot phishing
Unexpected login prompts or urgent requests? If it feels off, contact IT before you click.
Antivirus, handled
On a KAUST-managed device, antivirus is installed and updated for you. On a personal device, it is yours to manage.
Stay in the loop
Know what is changing before it affects you.
IT Alerts and updates
- IT Alerts is where current and upcoming maintenance lives, along with any active outage.
- We email you when a planned change is likely to affect you, and again if a service or system goes down.
- Curious how change is reviewed? The Change Advisory Board is where scheduled maintenance is approved before it reaches IT Alerts.
Read #InsideIT
Stories, tips, and what we are building, written by the people behind KAUST IT. Worth a bookmark.
Read the blogHelp, any time, from anywhere
You are never on your own. Head to the Contact Us page for every way to reach us.
Where to go next
Welcome to KAUST.
You are set up, you are supported, and we are glad you are here.