THUWAL — King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Professors Atif Shamim and Osman Bakr received the King Prize for Honoring Inventors and the Gifted, which was organized by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST).

Shamim, associate professor in the KAUST Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering division (CEMSE), and his team were awarded for the invention of real time microwave sensing system.

Shamim and his team developed a sensor system that accurately determines the proportion of water mixed in oil in real time, thereby enhancing production efficiency.

“I am glad that the technology developed in KAUST is useful for the most important industry in the Kingdom,” said Shamim. “This shows that KAUST is committed to solving the important problems in the Kingdom and is contributing toward the economic development of the Kingdom, in addition to imparting quality education and contribution to high quality research. [The] King Prize for a KAUST-grown technology is a testament of that.”

Bakr, associate professor of material science and engineering in the KAUST Physical Science and Engineering division (PSE), won the prize for the age group of over 25 years for his innovative work on hybrid perovskite materials for optoelectronics and solar cell applications.

“The Optoelectronics — such as sensors and optical radiation — plays an important role in the digital technology industry,” stated Bakr.

“The King Prize for Honoring Inventors and the Gifted will encourage the sons and daughters of the nation to innovate in the vital fields of future industries.”

Four students who received intensive training for scientific competitions at KAUST training camps also received the King Prize for Honoring Inventors and the Gifted.

Three of the students are in the category of gifted under 18 years. These include: Assaad Bin Hamed Bin Abdul Raouf Mohammed Saleh in mathematics and Faisal Bin Fahd Al-Salloum and Yazan Bin Mohammed Al-Majnouni in physics. The winner of the award for the age group of 18 to 25 years was student Ammar Bin Abdul Razek Bin Abdulqayoum in the field of engineering. “I was happy to supervise student Asaad Saleh since he was in the first grade. I [know] him as a distinguished student with a high level of creativity,” said Sultan Al-Barakati, the Ph.D. student who trained Saleh.

“Saleh won many gold medals in the Arab Olympiad of Mathematics. Of [the] competitions this year, the most important...was the International Mathematical Olympiad competition, which seeks to achieve the first gold medal for Saudi Arabia in the history of the International Olympiad.” — SG