The Center for Research and Intercommunication Knowledge

The Center for Research and Intercommunication Knowledge (CRIK) is an independent scientific research center located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It focuses on the study of international relations, politics, contemporary studies, cultural research, and foresight. The center is recognized for producing peer-reviewed research, bilingual dictionaries, specialized studies, reports, and academic journals. CRIK actively organizes conferences, workshops, and training programs to facilitate intellectual and cultural exchange between Saudi Arabia and the global community (Saudipedia, 2024; Saudipedia, 2025).

Establishment and Founders

CRIK was established in January 2016 in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. It was founded to provide a platform for high-quality research on international affairs and cultures, and to contribute to scientific and academic communication. Professor Dr. Yahya bin Mahmoud Junaid is the head of the center, serving as a key leader in its development (Saudipedia, 2024; Saudipedia, 2025; Turkmenistan.gov.tm, n.d.).

Mission and Vision

Mission:

CRIK aims to foster original scientific research and diverse thinking methodologies, promoting awareness of their importance in society. The center is dedicated to enhancing research capacity, translation efforts, and the dissemination of knowledge, while building robust academic partnerships both locally and internationally (Saudipedia, 2024).

Vision:

To serve as a catalyst for intercommunication between Saudi Arabia and the world, enriching regional and international dialogues through innovative research, intellectual exchange, and cultural understanding (Saudipedia, 2024).

Goals and Objectives

• Advance Scientific Research: Promote and support quality research in international relations, culture, policies, and foresight.
• Knowledge Exchange: Organize conferences, discussion sessions, and exhibitions to strengthen intellectual bonds between Saudi Arabia and other countries.
• Research Publication: Produce peer-reviewed studies, specialized dictionaries, journals, reports, and translations.
• Capacity Building: Develop the research competencies of Saudi youth and professionals through training and qualification programs.
• Cultural Collaboration: Establish academic and research partnerships with regional and global entities.
• Interdisciplinary Focus: Operate through specialized units covering diverse regions and topics, such as the Intellectual Studies Unit, Chinese Studies Unit, Turkish and Kurdish Studies Unit, and others (Saudipedia, 2024; Saudipedia, 2025).

History

The Center for Research and Intercommunication Knowledge (CRIK) was established in January 2016 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was created as an independent scientific institution focused on international relations, foresight studies, and cultural research. Since its founding, CRIK has sought to foster scientific dialogue, organize conferences, and publish peer-reviewed research to strengthen intellectual and cultural connections between Saudi Arabia and the global community (Saudipedia, 2024; Saudipedia, 2025).

==Location CRIK is located in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. Its address is:

• Al Sahafa District – Al Thumama Road
• Postal Box: 12060
• Zip Code: 13315
• Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Saudipedia, 2024; Center for Research & Intercommunication Knowledge, n.d.).

Financial Sponsors

CRIK is described as an independent research center. While its independence is highlighted, specific details about financial sponsors are not disclosed publicly. The center’s funding appears to derive from governmental or semi-governmental Saudi sources, as suggested by the scope of its activities and partnerships, but this is not explicitly detailed in available public records (Saudipedia, 2024; Saudipedia, 2025).

Website and Contact Information

• Official Website: crik.sa
• General E-mail: info@crik.sa
• WhatsApp Number: (+966) 580708800
• Cultural Affairs: (+966) 0542844441
• Library and Publications: (+966) 0580708800
• Fax: (+966) 115620385
• Mailing Address: Riyadh, Al Sahafa District, Al Thumama Road, P.O. Box 12060, Zip Code 13315, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Center for Research & Intercommunication Knowledge, n.d.).

Key fields of concentration

The Center for Research and Intercommunication Knowledge (CRIK) focuses on several key fields of concentration in its research activities, including international relations and politics, contemporary cultural studies, foresight and crisis management, and interdisciplinary studies. It also specializes in language research and intercultural communication, demonstrated by its publication of various bilingual dictionaries and cultural studies (Saudipedia, 2024; Saudipedia, 2025).

َ==Activities and contributions== The activities and contributions of CRIK include organizing specialized training programs, conferences, workshops, and exhibitions to promote scientific and cultural exchange between Saudi Arabia and other countries. It fosters international cooperation with research institutions worldwide, notably maintaining extensive relations with Chinese research centers and experts fluent in Chinese. The center also runs specialized units focusing on specific regional studies such as the Chinese Studies Unit, Turkish and Kurdish Studies Unit, Central and Southeast Asia Studies Units, and the Foresight and Crisis Management Unit (Saudipedia, 2024; Saudipedia, 2025; Trends Research & Advisory, 2024).

Publishing and significant reports

Regarding publishing and significant reports, CRIK has produced nineteen peer-reviewed scientific papers by researchers from both inside and outside Saudi Arabia. It has published several specialized dictionaries (e.g., Hausa-Arabic, Tamasheq, Nubian, Amazigh), sixteen specialized studies covering political, economic, and social issues, as well as 563 reports, including 396 exclusive and 167 translated reports. Furthermore, CRIK issues four regularly published academic journals, reflecting its continuous intellectual output (Saudipedia, 2024).

Impacts of its works

The impacts of CRIK’s work are evident in its role as a hub for intellectual and cultural exchange that supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals, especially in expanding international strategic partnerships and knowledge communication. For example, it conducted seminars on the compatibility of Saudi Vision 2030 with China’s Belt and Road initiative, enhancing bilateral cultural and economic understanding. The center’s engagement with regional and global research communities contributes to advancing Saudi Arabia's academic profile and policy-relevant research in international relations and intercultural communication (Saudipedia, 2025; Eurasian Research Institute, 2019; SPA, 2024).

Prominent research figures

The Center for Research and Intercommunication Knowledge (CRIK) is led by prominent research figures notably including Professor Dr. Yahya bin Mahmoud Junaid, who serves as the head of the center. Dr. Junaid is a distinguished scholar in Islamic libraries and cultural studies, formerly heading the King Fahd Library in Riyadh and serving as a professor at Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. He has authored over 60 works on Islamic civilization and has been recognized with the King Faisal International Prize in Islamic Studies (Arab News, 2018; Saudipedia, 2024).

Relations to the Islamic world

Concerning its relations to the Islamic world, CRIK actively engages in research that addresses international relations and their impact on the Middle East, emphasizing Islamic cultural heritage and scholarship. The center houses specialized units focusing on regions with strong Islamic ties, such as the Iraqi and Syrian Studies Unit and the Turkish and Kurdish Studies Unit, reflecting its commitment to scholarship relevant to the Islamic world. Moreover, CRIK promotes Islamic cultural knowledge through its publications, dictionaries, and academic activities (Saudipedia, 2024; Saudipedia, 2025).

Partnerships other institutions

CRIK maintains partnerships with various international institutions, notably collaborating extensively with Chinese academic and research bodies. Key partnerships include cooperation agreements with Beijing Normal University, China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development, and the Intercontinental Chinese Publishing House. These collaborations involve academic exchanges, joint research projects, and publishing efforts to foster cultural and knowledge communication between Saudi Arabia and China. In 2025, CRIK and the China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development jointly established an institute for China studies in Saudi Arabia, highlighting its strategic international engagement (Chinese Xinhua News, 2025; Saudipedia, 2024; CRIK, 2023).

Critique of its work or hidden objectives

From Iran’s perspective, critiques of Saudi Arabia’s Center for Research and Intercommunication Knowledge (CRIK) often frame such institutions within the broader context of regional rivalry, viewing their work as aligned with Saudi geopolitical interests rather than purely academic or neutral scientific inquiry. Iran tends to regard Saudi-funded think tanks and research centers like CRIK as instruments serving political agendas aimed at countering Iranian influence in the Middle East and beyond.

Iranian critiques suggest that Saudi knowledge-based initiatives, including CRIK, may carry hidden objectives linked to advancing Saudi Arabia’s strategic narratives, particularly related to regional power projection and ideological positioning against Iran and its allies. As Gulf states emphasize knowledge economy development for economic diversification and international stature, Iran’s corresponding efforts appear driven primarily by resistance and military power goals framed under a doctrine of "economic jihad" (AGSIW, 2025). In this framing, Iran views knowledge institutions elsewhere in the Gulf—potentially including CRIK—as part of a rivalry that incorporates both overt cultural diplomacy and covert strategic influence.

Moreover, Iranian analysts and dissident commentators often question the impartiality of research centers allied with Gulf governments, suggesting these entities function within echo chambers that amplify their sponsors’ narratives while marginalizing Iranian perspectives. The Iranian regime’s media portrays such centers as contributors to misinformation campaigns or as soft-power tools in Saudi efforts to shape international opinion against Tehran (NCRI, 2023; IranIntl, 2025).

Iranian concerns also focus on the broader ecosystem of knowledge production and dissemination. Despite growing scientific output, Iranian scholars note barriers to effective knowledge translation within their own country and highlight the contrasting motivations underpinning regional knowledge economies. In Iran, knowledge production is tightly linked to state security and ideological resistance, whereas in Saudi Arabia, institutions like CRIK are seen as culturally and diplomatically oriented but ultimately aligned with Riyadh's geopolitical objectives (AGSIW, 2025; PMC, 2005).

Hence, while there is no publicly documented direct critique of CRIK by Iranian official sources, the general Iranian perspective on similar Gulf research bodies is one of skepticism regarding their neutrality and underlying strategic intent, viewing them as tools within the ongoing geopolitical contest between Riyadh and Tehran.