Omar Yaghi Receives Sheikh Saud International Prize For Materials Science At IWAM 2026

H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi has honoured Professor Omar Yaghi with the Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Science during the second day of the 17th International Workshop on Advanced Materials, recognising Professor Yaghi’s role as joint winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and highlighting Ras Al Khaimah’s growing profile as a centre for scientific dialogue.

The award is presented within IWAM, a three-day programme of lectures, discussions and poster sessions focused on advanced materials and their impact on future technologies, drawing leading scientists from prominent universities worldwide and aligning with Ras Al Khaimah’s strategy to strengthen knowledge-based development, clean energy research and sustainable innovation.

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Professor Yaghi, from the Department of Chemistry and the Bakar Institute of Digital Materials for the Planet at the University of California, Berkeley, is widely regarded as a leading figure in materials chemistry, with research that has reshaped approaches to clean energy, carbon capture and sustainable technologies and earned international recognition across the scientific community.

By presenting the Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Science to Professor Yaghi, Ras Al Khaimah underscores its intention to support research that delivers real-world applications, particularly in areas linked to climate challenges, where advanced materials can improve energy storage, reduce emissions and help develop technologies that support long-term environmental and economic resilience.

The Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Science is awarded every two years as a core element of IWAM, recognising individuals whose work has a lasting effect on materials science and its applications, and the 2025 award strengthens its international credibility while reinforcing IWAM’s standing as a respected platform for scientific exchange, cooperation and open discussion.

H.H. Sheikh Saud emphasised that honouring scientific achievement plays a decisive role in encouraging innovation and motivating young researchers, adding that steady investment in education and science is essential for building resilient, knowledge-driven societies that can manage future economic pressures and environmental risks through research-led solutions.

H.H. Sheikh Saud said: "I warmly congratulate Professor Omar Yaghi on receiving the Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Science. His groundbreaking work, recognized globally with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, represents the very best of what science can offer humanity. His journey, from humble beginnings in Jordan to worldwide recognition, is a source of pride for our region and a powerful inspiration for young Arabs who aspire to contribute to science and knowledge. Professor Yaghi’s achievements remind us that talent, determination and learning can transcend borders and help shape a better future for all."

Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Science, IWAM advanced materials in Ras Al Khaimah and previous laureates

Earlier recipients of the Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Science include Professor Michael L. Klein, the Laura H. Carnell Professor of Science at Temple University in the United States, and Professor C.N.R. Rao, Linus Pauling Research Professor and Honorary President of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in India, underlining the award’s global scientific reach.

During the ceremony, H.H. Sheikh Saud highlighted the central role of advanced materials research in tackling urgent global issues, including the clean energy transition, carbon reduction and water sustainability, and stressed that Ras Al Khaimah aims to remain a trusted host for international scientific dialogue and collaboration through IWAM and related initiatives that support discovery.

The Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Science and IWAM are supported by strong local partnerships, including sponsorship from Stevin Rock in Ras Al Khaimah, one of the world’s largest quarrying companies with production capacity exceeding 80 million tons per year, demonstrating how industrial stakeholders can back academic research focused on sustainable technologies and advanced materials.

The latest edition of IWAM and the presentation of the Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Science reinforce Ras Al Khaimah’s long-term commitment to celebrating knowledge, encouraging discovery and advancing global scientific leadership, while positioning the Emirate as a venue where international experts on advanced materials gather to discuss solutions for cleaner energy systems and more sustainable economies.

With inputs from WAM