ISLAMABAD (DI NEWS) : In a landmark achievement for Saudi Arabia and the Arab world, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to distinguished Saudi scientist Professor Omar Mounes Yaghi for his pioneering work on Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), a revolutionary class of materials capable of gas storage and water harvesting from air.
Professor Yaghi shares the Nobel Prize with Australian scientist Richard Robson and Japanese researcher Susumu Kitagawa, with whom he laid the foundation of network chemistry, a new scientific field that has transformed materials research, environmental science, and energy innovation.
In his official statement following the Nobel announcement, Professor Yaghi expressed deep pride in his Saudi identity and extended heartfelt gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. He said this achievement was the result of the Kingdom’s vibrant scientific culture nurtured under Vision 2030 and reflected Saudi Arabia’s determination to advance science and innovation to global standards. He dedicated the Nobel Prize to the young people of Saudi Arabia as an inspiration to pursue excellence in research, invention, and knowledge.
Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), invented and developed through Yaghi’s research, are crystalline materials with vast internal surface areas capable of capturing, storing, and releasing gases such as hydrogen and carbon dioxide efficiently. In recent years, Yaghi’s work has focused on atmospheric water harvesting, a breakthrough technology that extracts drinkable water from dry desert air using MOF-based systems, an innovation with immense potential for arid regions like the Arabian Peninsula.
Born in Amman, Jordan, in 1965 to a Palestinian-origin family, Omar Yaghi pursued higher education in the United States and earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois. He currently serves as a Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. Professor Yaghi is globally recognized as the founder of Reticular Chemistry, a field that designs molecular frameworks with precise geometry for applications in energy, environment, and advanced materials.
Professor Yaghi’s Nobel win marks a historic milestone for Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab scientific community, underscoring the nation’s growing influence in global research and innovation. His recognition is widely seen as a triumph of Vision 2030, the national blueprint that prioritizes scientific excellence, education, and technological advancement as key pillars of the Kingdom’s future prosperity.
