The Centre for Information Technology & Instrumentation (CITI) was formally established in 2003, eventhough activities in these fields were being undertaken for more than a decade in the past. The objectives of the Centre are:
- Co-ordinate the various activities related to these fields going on in the KAU
- Support the research and administrative managers in the decision making process
- Technology support for the Virtual University for Agricultural Trade
- Help the farmers and extension workers to retrieve relevant information
- Facilitation of IT-supported governance and management
- Facilitate the teaching-learning process through virtual education and distance learning initiatives
- Manage the basic communication facilities at all the campuses of the KAU
- Create and maintain the official website for the KAU (www.kau.edu) on the Internet
- Create and manage the KAU Network, bringing all the information systems of the University and their equipment together as an integrated system
- Evolve standards and guidelines for information systems and networks
- Implement a common hardware and software policy
- Software license management and hardware maintenance co-ordination
- Co-ordinate inter-institutional translocation of IT and instrumentation resources
- Provide support for assessing the needs and choosing appropriate equipment for procurement
- Provide pre-installation support and supervision for the proper installation and commissioning of equipment
- Advise in the proper use of instruments
- Negotiation and supervision of service contracts for special types of equipment