The Electrical Engineering department at KFUPM came into existence with the establishment of the University of Petroleum & Minerals in 1967. It is one of the largest departments in the University with an average number of students being approximately 900, 16% of whom are in the graduate program. The department provides 2 four-year undergraduate programs, Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Physics. The graduate program offers Master of Science and Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering, Master of Science in Telecommunication Engineering, Master of Sustainable and Renewable Energy, Master of Wireless Communication Networks, and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering.
The department has about 61 full-time faculty members in 6 specialized areas of research. The Groups in the department are: Energy Systems, Communications, Electronics, Control Systems, Electromagnetics, and Digital Signal Processing. Additionally, a pool of experienced engineers and technicians maintain more than 30 laboratories in the department.
To be globally known for skillful graduates and quality research with focus on national needs.
On April 12, 2026, the Electrical Engineering Department at the College of Engineering and Physics hosted a seminar titled “Massive MIMO, Open-RAN and Artificial Intelligence in Cellular Mobile Networks,” delivered by Dr. Salman Khan, Principal Engineer at EchoStar Corporation, Denver, Colorado. The seminar took place in Building 59, Room 1001.
During the seminar, Dr. Khan discussed the evolution of massive MIMO (mMIMO) technology from its early development in 2010 to its widespread commercial adoption, highlighting its significant impact on improving performance in modern cellular networks. He explained how research innovations in telecom laboratories have translated into real-world deployments, contributing to enhanced network capacity and efficiency.
Dr. Khan further introduced the concept of Open Radio Access Networks (Open-RAN), emphasizing its emergence in 2017 as a transformative approach that reshaped the competitive landscape of the telecommunications industry. He described how Open-RAN enabled greater flexibility and encouraged the growth of new players in the development of massive MIMO radio technologies.
In addition, the seminar explored the increasing role of artificial intelligence in optimizing cellular networks. Dr. Khan highlighted how mobile network operators are leveraging AI-driven solutions to maximize the return on their 5G investments, rather than focusing solely on the transition toward 6G technologies.
He also provided insights into current industry trends and outlined potential future directions, emphasizing the integration of data-driven algorithms in next-generation wireless communication systems. The seminar demonstrated how combining mMIMO, Open-RAN, and AI can drive innovation and efficiency in cellular mobile networks.
The following are the highlights of the event:
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The Electrical Engineering Department (EE) at KFUPM provides a world-class education and innovative learning experiences for both undergraduate and graduate students.
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