Who is Omar Yaghi? Meet first Saudi national to win Nobel Prize | World News – The Times of India – Delhi News Daily

Born in 1965 in Amman to a refugee family, Omar Yaghi grew up modestly in a single room shared with his parents, eight siblings, and a few cattle/ Image: Argaam

From a one-room home in Amman to the global stage of the Nobel Prize, Omar Yaghi’s journey is more than a scientific triumph — it is a human one. His groundbreaking work in reticular chemistry has not only transformed material science, but has also brought global recognition to Arab intellect and perseverance. This year, he became the first Saudi national to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, marking a watershed moment for science in the Arab world.

A Nobel Prize that goes beyond science

On October 8, 2025, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to three scientists: Omar Yaghi, Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University, and Richard Robson of the University of Melbourne. The trio was recognised “for the development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs),” a class of materials that have revolutionised the ability to trap gases, capture carbon dioxide, and even harvest water from desert air. Heiner Linke, Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, described the significance at the press conference:“They have found ways to create materials, entirely novel materials, with large cavities on their inside which can be seen almost like rooms in a hotel, so that guest molecules can enter and also exit again from the same material.” Linke drew a vivid analogy:“A small amount of such material can be almost like Hermione’s handbag in Harry Potter. It can store huge amounts of gas in a tiny volume.” These MOFs — materials with vast internal surface areas, are already being explored for applications in climate tech, such as carbon capture and water generation from the atmosphere. And for Yaghi, who once queued for water as a child in Jordan, the work is personal.“You store as much water as you can within that four hours and that’s the water you would use for those two weeks. If you ran out of water, you had to find a different source,” Yaghi said in a documentary.“I grew up really appreciating the stress caused by water. It affects all aspects of life.” The prize comes with 11 million Swedish kronor (approx. $1.2 million), but for Yaghi, the real reward is the recognition of a lifetime spent solving real-world problems with chemistry.

Omar M. Yaghi was born in 1965 in Amman, Jordan, into a refugee family originally from Palestine. His upbringing was humble. He grew up in a single room with his parents, eight siblings, and even livestock — a few cows. His father, who ran a butcher shop and raised cattle, insisted that his son pursue an education abroad. At 15, in 1980, with limited English, Yaghi moved alone to Troy, New York.“My parents could barely read or write. It’s been quite a journey, science allows you to do it,” he once reflected.He enrolled at Hudson Valley Community College shortly after arriving and then transferred to the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany in 1983. There, he developed a deep passion for chemistry — not in the lecture hall, but in the lab.“I really loved the lab. I disliked class, but I loved the lab,” Yaghi said.“I was doing three different projects with three different professors at the same time.”To support himself during this period, Yaghi bagged groceries and mopped floors. He graduated cum laude in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. Pursuing further specialization, he earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1990. Following his doctorate, Yaghi was awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University, where he worked from 1990 to 1992.By 1992, he secured a faculty position at Arizona State University, where he began shaping his career. In 1999, he joined the University of Michigan faculty, followed by a move to UCLA in 2007.In 2012, Yaghi joined the University of California, Berkeley, as a professor of chemistry. There, he became co-director of the Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute and served as Director of the Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory from 2012 to 2013.Today, Yaghi holds the James and Neeltje Tretter Chair in the College of Chemistry at UC Berkeley. He is the founding director of the Berkeley Global Science Institute, established to promote international scientific collaboration, and co-director of the California Research Alliance by BASF, focused on sustainable chemical research.Throughout his career, Yaghi has published over 300 scientific papers. His work has been cited more than 250,000 times, an exceptional benchmark by any academic standard.

Recognition, awards, and a dual legacy

Yaghi’s contributions have earned him over 20 prestigious international awards, including:

He is a member of numerous elite academies, including:

In 2021, he was granted Saudi citizenship via royal decree, part of a programme aimed at attracting global talent to the Kingdom. He now holds dual citizenship: Saudi and American. He currently resides in Berkeley, California.

Arab recognition and cultural impact

Yaghi’s Nobel win is also seen as a cultural and symbolic milestone across the Arab world. He had already been honoured by the UAE before the Nobel announcement. In January 2024, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, presented Yaghi with the Great Arab Minds Award in the category of Natural Sciences. Following the Nobel announcement, Sheikh Mohammed congratulated Yaghi again:“A year ago, we honoured Professor Omar Yaghi with the Arab Geniuses Award… and today we congratulate him on winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.” He added:“We congratulate Professor Omar… and before that, we congratulate the Arab world for these minds that we take pride in before all nations. The Arab nation is full of geniuses… rich in intellect… and our mission is to restore confidence in ourselves… confidence in our youth… and confidence in our scholars.” In his acceptance of the Arab Geniuses Award earlier this year, Yaghi said:“I was captivated by the beauty of molecules from the age of 10.”“Science doesn’t care about your background, financial status, or social circumstances,” he told The National.“It’s the greatest equalizing force in the world.” His impact now extends beyond academia. Yaghi is the 7th President of the World Cultural Council, an organisation that promotes cultural values, goodwill, and philanthropy through science. He also serves as an advisor to the President of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and has helped set up research centres across Jordan and Saudi Arabia, helping to foster scientific talent across the Arab region.