{"id":101295,"date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/ksa\/2025\/10\/09\/saudi-national-omar-yaghi-gets-a-nobel-in-chemistry-gaza-agreement-reached\/"},"modified":"2025-10-09T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T00:00:00","slug":"saudi-national-omar-yaghi-gets-a-nobel-in-chemistry-gaza-agreement-reached","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/ksa\/2025\/10\/09\/saudi-national-omar-yaghi-gets-a-nobel-in-chemistry-gaza-agreement-reached\/","title":{"rendered":"Saudi national Omar Yaghi gets a Nobel in Chemistry + Gaza agreement reached"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning, everyone, and happy THURSDAY<\/strong>. We head into the weekend with a mixed bag of updates on growth prospects, gigaprojects, capital markets, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

BUT FIRST- <\/strong>Omar Yaghi has become the first Saudi citizen to receive a Nobel Prize in the<\/strong> sciences<\/strong>, after being awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry alongside Japan\u2019s Susumu Kitagawa and Australia\u2019s Richard Robson for pioneering metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) \u2014 materials that can trap, store, and release gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Their discovery has laid the groundwork for tackling climate and energy challenges, including carbon capture and water harvesting in dry regions.<\/p>\n

The Berkeley professor is widely regarded as a pioneer in \u201creticular chemistry<\/strong>,\u201d the field behind MOFs and related materials that are being used in clean energy and environmental technologies. <\/p>\n

Yaghi was born in Jordan to Palestinian refugee parents in 196<\/font>5<\/strong>. \"I grew up in a very humble home. We were a dozen of us in one small room, sharing it with the cattle that we used to raise,\" he told the Nobel Foundation in an interview. He moved into the US for the first time at the age of 15, and became a Saudi citizen in 2021 under a royal decree granting nationality to leading scientists and innovators.<\/p>\n

\"Science is the greatest equalizing force in the world<\/strong>,\" he added, urging that his journey is a testament to the fact that talents can thrive anywhere under the right conditions.<\/p>\n

HAPPENING TODAY-<\/p>\n

#1- The <\/strong>General Authority for Statistics rolls out the Industrial Production Index for <\/strong>August 2025 <\/strong>today<\/strong>. The index rose 6.5% y-o-y in July<\/a>, supported by growth across the manufacturing, mining and quarrying sectors.<\/p>\n

#2- The <\/strong>Riyadh International Book Fair<\/a><\/strong> is on its eighth day today at Princess Nourah Bint <\/strong>Abdul Rahman University.<\/strong> The event, which runs through next Saturday, features some 2k publishing houses from over 25 countries, with book signings, children\u2019s programs, and new business zones for publishers and literary agents also on the agenda.<\/p>\n

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WEATHER- Stormy skies ahead: <\/strong>Thunderstorms, hail, and strong winds are expected today across Jazan, Asir, Al Baha, Makkah, and Hail, with fog likely forming over these regions and parts of the Eastern Region. Dust-laden winds will persist in Madinah and Tabuk, while the southern Red Sea may see rough seas and rain-bearing thunderclouds.<\/p>\n