Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said that developing the science sector is a key priority for the UAE, given its critical role in helping achieve the government’s strategic objectives and supporting government bodies in various development projects.
"Investing in developing the capabilities of scientists and researchers and involving them in planning for the future is key to the prosperity of any society," His Highness said. "We launched the Mohammed bin Rashid Academy of Scientists, the first initiative of its kind in the Arab world, to foster the development of the region’s scientists and the cutting-edge research needed to sustain our growth and development,” His Highness added.
"We aim to revive the scientific spirit to serve humanity, enhance the role of scientists in the development process of the UAE, and to create a thriving community of Emirati scientists across disciplines," Sheikh Mohammed said.
Sheikh Mohammed’s remarks came as he attended the first annual meeting of the Mohammed bin Rashid Academy of Scientists, which took place at Etihad Museum in the presence of prominent scientists and experts from various fields.
Present at the meeting were Deputy Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chief Executive and Chairman of Emirates Group His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum; His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future HE Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi; and Minister of State for Advanced Sciences and Chairperson of Emirates Scientists Council Her Excellency Sara Al Amiri, apart from a number of senior officials.
The meeting witnessed the launch of the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Excellence, which aims to honour distinguished scholars and researchers who have made remarkable contributions in scientific fields. The Medal, which represents the highest Emirati scientific honour, was awarded to Dr. Saeed Alhassan Alkhazraji from the UAE, and Dr. Hassan Arafat, from the Kingdom of Jordan, for their achievements and contributions in the scientific field.
Dr. Saeed AlKhazraji developed innovative ways to save water and invented a device that can absorb water from the air without electricity. The device absorbs moisture from the air at low temperatures and releases them as water at high temperatures. This water can be used to irrigate agricultural crops, thus reducing the depletion of water in some agricultural areas.
AlKhazraji received the Sheikh Rashid Award for Scientific Achievement in 2008 and 2012. He has published more than fifty scientific articles in prestigious scientific journals covering various scientific topics.
Dr. AlKhazraji began his scientific journey in 1999, specialising in chemical engineering, and earned a PhD in 2011 from the United States. He is currently Assistant Professor and Director of the Gas Research Center, Department of Chemical Engineering in the Khalifa University of Science and Engineering and Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Excellence was also awarded to Dr. Hassan Arafat who has made significant contributions to the development of technologies for water desalination and treatment based on renewable energy, in line with UAE’s priorities and objectives. He has collaborated with researchers from the Masdar Institute at the Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi and researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has proposed innovative energy efficient methods for desalination, which will contribute in the future to low-cost and effective solutions for people living in remote areas.
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