Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Professor Omar Yaghi, a distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Visionary Founder of Water Harvesting Inc. (WaHa), has been awarded the Great Arab Minds Award in Natural Sciences for 2024 by H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Dubai Ruler. This prestigious recognition marks another milestone in Professor Yaghi’s groundbreaking career in reticular chemistry.
Frank Ramirez, CEO of WaHa, comments:
“Professor Yaghi’s Great Arab Minds Award is a well-deserved recognition of his pioneering work in reticular chemistry. His groundbreaking research has not only advanced the field of materials science but has also opened new frontiers in addressing global challenges like water scarcity. This award underscores the profound impact of Professor Yaghi’s contributions to science and society.”
Chris Kay, President of WaHa, comments:
“We are thrilled to be implementing Professor Yaghi’s revolutionary technology in the UAE through our WaHa Vaporator®. This innovative system aligns perfectly with the UAE’s forward-thinking sustainability goals, producing pure drinking water even in the challenging desert climate. Our successful pilots in the region demonstrate the practical application of this technology, offering a sustainable solution to water scarcity that could transform lives across the Middle East and beyond.”
Professor Omar Yaghi’s Laboratory, UC Berkeley
Professor Omar Yaghi leads a world-renowned research group in the Department of Chemistry at UC Berkeley. The lab specializes in reticular chemistry, focusing on developing Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs). The Laboratory is at the forefront of creating sustainable solutions for global energy, environment, and water scarcity challenges. Their work has applications in clean energy, gas storage, carbon capture, and water harvesting from air.
This has led to over 300 publications and 250,000 citations, and the receipt by Professor Yaghi of numerous recognitions – the Albert Einstein World Award of Science (2017), the Wolf Prize in Chemistry (2018); the Gregory Aminoff Prize (2019); the VinFuture Prize (2022), and the Science for the Future Ernest Solvay Prize (2024)
