Almarai Scientific Creativity Award Board Announces Winners of 2024 Cycle

The Almarai Scientific Creativity Award board of trustees announced the names of the winners of the latest cycle of Almarai Prize 2024 under its new strategy, which aligns with national priorities for research and development (R&D) and innovation in the fields of environmental sustainability and provision of basic needs. The prize seeks to uphold the Kingdom's position and highlights its progress in food security indicators in dryland regions, stimulating researchers and innovators at both national and international levels, and shedding light on pioneering work to educate future generations.
The announcement was made during the annual meeting of the award’s board, which was held virtually. The meeting was chaired by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) president and the prize’s board chairman Dr. Munir M. Eldesouki, and attended by Almarai Company board chair and the prize’s board vice chairman Prince Naif bin Sultan bin Muhammad bin Saud Al-Kabeer and other board members.
The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) was awarded the Almarai Prize, the largest international prize in financial value in the field of food security in dryland regions, for the outstanding international project titled “Enhancing Food Security in Arab Countries.” The project, which has spanned over 12 years, focuses on increasing productivity in the region by developing sustainable agricultural solutions that empower farmers, improve productivity, and contribute to achieving a more food-secure future for the Arab world.
At the national level, King Saud University (KSU) associate professor Dr. Fahad bin Khudair Alshehri was awarded the Almarai Scientific Innovation Award for Emerging Scientists for his research "Coupling Machine and Deep Learning with Explainable Artificial Intelligence for Improving Prediction of Groundwater Quality and Decision-Making in Dryland Region, Saudi Arabia." His work represents an advancement in monitoring and managing water quality in dryland regions.
The prize was also awarded to KSU assistant professor Dr. Nada Salem Al-Theyab for her research "Draft Genome Sequence of Potato Crop Bacterial Isolates and Nanoparticles-Intervention for the Induction of Secondary Metabolites Biosynthesis," which uses a gene-targeting approach to improve crop growth and safety by integrating nanotechnology and microbial genomics.
At the conclusion of its annual meeting, the prize’s board of trustees praised the winning work and its impact on enhancing food security and the potential to provide sustainable solutions for dryland regions. It was emphasized that the submitted work represents a valuable contribution to the R&D and innovation sector in the Kingdom, as well as to dryland regions worldwide.
The board of trustees explained that the prize aims to support scientists and innovators all over the world to help advance progress in tackling global challenges through their research and pioneering projects in food security for dryland regions. It expressed its wishes for continued excellence and success for the winners of this cycle, hoping the prize would inspire them to keep working and put greater effort into research and innovation in the field of the prize.