The KAUST Information Technology Department blog
07 August, 2025
Have you ever wanted to create a professional website for your department, conference, or project at KAUST, but weren’t sure where to start? You’re in luck. With the KAUST Sitefinity Website Platform, anyone can request and manage their own website. No coding required.
Whether you're organizing an event, leading a research group, or launching a new initiative, Sitefinity makes it easy.
Sitefinity is KAUST’s official website platform. It lets you create websites that look great, follow the university’s style, and are easy to update. You don’t need to be a designer or developer. If you can write an email or update a PowerPoint, you can manage a Sitefinity site.
People use it for:
KAUST uses one standard website template. To see the available layouts and building blocks before you request your site, explore the General Template (GT) Explorer:
It shows ready-made homepage layouts and flexible building blocks you can use to create a polished site.
Once your site is created, it’s easy to add and update content using drag-and-drop building blocks.
You can include:
You’ll be able to preview changes before publishing, no coding required.
Once your site is ready, your team decides who should update the content. You don’t need to rely on IT for day-to-day changes.
Typical roles include:
You can assign one or more people depending on your needs.
Here’s a quick checklist to help you prepare:
You don’t need to have all the answers, this is just a helpful starting point.
When you’re ready, requesting your site is simple. Open a ticket with VITA, our IT chatbot, or call the IT Service Desk. From your desk phone, dial 910. From your mobile or off campus, call +966 12 808-0910.
To help us set up your site quickly, please include the following details in your request:
| Detail | What to Provide |
|---|---|
| Website URL | The standard KAUST format is Your-Website.kaust.edu.sa. Please follow the GBC policies on policy.kaust.edu.sa when selecting a URL. |
| Website owners and department | Nominate two people to serve as the primary and back-up owners who will manage the content. Include the name of the department that will own the website. |
| Publishing to the Internet | Decide whether your site should be internal or external. Internal sites are only accessible on the KAUST network or through VPN. External sites are Internet-facing. Publishing externally requires GBC approval before the site goes live. |
| Benefit | What It Means for You |
|---|---|
| Easy to use | No coding or design skills needed |
| On-brand | Your site will match KAUST’s official look |
| Made for KAUST | Designed with departments and events in mind |
| Flexible | Works for many types of websites |
| Supported | IT will help get you started |
| Self-managed | You stay in control of your content |
If you’ve been thinking, “We should have a website for this,” now is a great time to begin. Sitefinity makes it easy to share your work with the KAUST community and beyond.
Read the full Getting Started Guide
Have questions or want to see examples? Explore the GT Explorer, review the guide, and submit your request. Your next website is just a few steps away.
