Synopsys and King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology (KACST) Sign Agreement to Promote Knowledge-Based Society in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, November 14 - Synopsys, Inc., a world leader in software and IP for semiconductor
design, verification and manufacturing and KACST, the King Abdulaziz City of
Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, today signed an agreement to work
together to promote a knowledge-based society in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The arrangement enables the two organizations to establish a Center of
Excellence for Nanoelectronic Design at KACST in Riyadh, featuring a
nanotechnology and nanoelectronics infrastructure, state-of-the-art computing
environment, a Synopsys-based electronic design environment and
nanoelectronics design flow, advanced training and experienced staff from
Synopsys or trained by Synopsys.

Once established, the KACST Center of Excellence for Nanoelectronic
Design would serve as a central point of contact for Saudi universities and
research centers, facilitating access to Synopsys' advanced EDA (electronic
design automation) software and curriculum and providing world-class industry
seminars, workshops and conferences. The goal of the Center would be to
maintain productive relationships with world-class electronics companies and
develop partnerships across the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) that are
patterned after other successful programs Synopsys has helped develop around
the world.

The agreement between KACST and Synopsys creates a hub to provide
advanced EDA software and curriculum to Saudi Arabia's universities. The
planned focus would be on training highly qualified specialists for Saudi
Arabia in the field of very large scale integration (VLSI) design through
using EDA tools and solutions from Synopsys. The goal of this effort would be
to educate Arabian students in integrated circuit design so they can help
advance the state of Saudi Arabia's technology development and create a
nanoelectronics-based ecosystem.

To encourage the development of a knowledge-based society in Saudi
Arabia, Synopsys and KACST plan to establish and conduct an Annual
Nanoelectronics Olympiad and create "Saudi Best Engineering Student Awards"
that recognize and encourage talented youth. Such competitions would serve as
a strong incentive for Saudi Arabia's youth to expand their knowledge.

"As a leader in our industry, Synopsys appreciates the opportunity to
work with an organization like KACST, the R&D leader in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia. More importantly, KACST is leading the way in developing a
knowledge-based society in Saudi Arabia that will offer new opportunities for
the youth of the Kingdom," said Rich Goldman, vice president of Corporate
Marketing and Strategic Alliances at Synopsys. "Providing engineering
students with technology-leading tools is the first step in developing a
workforce that is ready to enter the world of fast-paced nanotechnology with
the skills necessary to be quickly productive."

About KACST

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) is an independent
scientific organization administratively reporting to the Prime Minister.
KACST is both the Saudi Arabian national science agency and its national
laboratories. The science agency function involves science and technology
policy making, data collection, funding of external research, and services
such as the patent office. KACST has currently over 2500 employees. Visit
KACST online at www.kacst.edu.sa/.

About Synopsys

Synopsys, Inc. is a world leader in electronic design automation (EDA),
supplying the global electronics market with the software, intellectual
property (IP) and services used in semiconductor design, verification and
manufacturing. Synopsys' comprehensive, integrated portfolio of
implementation, verification, IP, manufacturing and field-programmable gate
array (FPGA) solutions helps address the key challenges designers and
manufacturers face today, such as power and yield management,
software-to-silicon verification and time-to-results. These
technology-leading solutions help give Synopsys customers a competitive edge
in bringing the best products to market quickly while reducing costs and
schedule risk. Synopsys is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and
has more than 65 offices located throughout North America, Europe, Japan,
Asia and India. Visit Synopsys online at www.synopsys.com/.

Synopsys is a trademark of Synopsys, Inc. Any other trademarks or
registered trademarks mentioned in this release are the intellectual property
of their respective owners.

    Editorial Contacts:

    Gayane Markosyan                         Mansour Alotaibi
    Synopsys Armenia CJSC                    KACST
    +374-10-492-356                          +96614813539
    +374-91-292-302                          +966554410746
    gayanem@synopsys.com                     msotaibi@kacst.edu.sa

Gayane Markosyan of Synopsys Armenia CJSC, +374-10-492-356, +374-91-292-302, gayanem at synopsys.com; or Mansour Alotaibi of KACST, +96614813539, +966554410746, msotaibi at kacst.edu.sa