Sep 10, 2026

President’s Award Recognizes Research Excellence

The inaugural edition of the President’s Award Ceremony brought faculty members, researchers and members of the KFUPM community together on September 8, 2026, to recognize achievements spanning research impact, scholarly leadership, technology advancement and collaboration. The ceremony was held at the College of Petroleum Engineering & Geosciences (CPG) Building auditorium.

Marking the first edition of the award, the evening celebrated recipients across five categories, reflecting the different ways researchers contribute to the University’s research mission and growing global standing.

Following opening remarks by Dr. Mamdouh Alharthi, KFUPM President Dr. Muhammad Al-Saggaf addressed attendees, highlighting the importance of recognizing excellence through multiple paths and encouraging a culture in which achievement and impact take different forms.

Each of the five awards was introduced with a short presentation outlining its purpose and the contribution it was designed to recognize.

The Editorial Leadership Award, recognizing faculty members serving as editors-in-chief of leading international Q1 scholarly journals, was presented to Daniel da Costa and Usman Qamar, while Md Anwarul Hasan received the Global Research Impact Award for exceptional international research influence.

Mohamed Mahmoud was recognized in two categories. He received the Technology Advancement Award for advancing innovative technologies toward real-world application and impact, as well as the Institutional Research Contribution Award. In the latter category, he was recognized alongside Nadeem Baig, Hafiz Arshad, Tawfik Awadh and Sadiq Sait for sustained scholarly contributions that strengthen KFUPM’s research output and citation performance.

Completing the five categories, Medhat Nemitallah received the Active Engagement Award for outstanding interdisciplinary collaboration through high-quality joint research across KFUPM.

Beyond the award presentations, the program featured interactive competitions and prize giveaways, adding a more celebratory dimension to the evening before attendees gathered for dinner.

With its inaugural edition, the President’s Award introduces a broader approach to recognizing research excellence at KFUPM—one that extends beyond a single measure of achievement. From international scholarly leadership and research influence to technology development, institutional contribution and interdisciplinary collaboration, the five categories reflect the multiple paths through which faculty members and researchers contribute to the University’s progress and impact.