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Jordan has entered the Nobel community for the very first time. The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Professor Omar M. Yaghi, a scientist whose journey began with a simple childhood question: could the air around us hold the key to survival? His groundbreaking research into air-harvesting materials has now placed him at the forefront of global scientific innovation and opened new pathways for addressing the world’s most urgent climate challenges.The 2024 Scientific Innovation Award is presented to Professor Omar M. Yaghi, one of the world’s most pioneering chemists and the inventor of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Renowned for transforming a childhood curiosity into a breakthrough with global impact, he grew up in an environment where water was scarce and daily life demanded resourcefulness. He learned early that the air surrounding him was not empty,  it held untapped possibilities. As a child, he watched how his community adapted to deprivation and began asking questions few others thought to ask. What if the air itself could give us what the earth no longer could? What if we could extract water from dryness? “Science gives us tools to rewrite what we believe is possible. My childhood taught me that even the air around us can be a resource if we learn how to listen to it.” This curiosity guided him into chemistry and ultimately into the study of MOFs, crystalline materials with vast internal surface areas and extraordinary absorptive power. These structures, resembling microscopic sponges, can trap gases, filter pollutants and extract moisture even from extremely dry air. After decades of research, he succeeded in doing what once seemed impossible: finding a way to “catch air” and turn it into water. A vision born in childhood has now become a technology with profound global relevance.A breakthrough for a climate-challenged centuryMOFs (Metal Organic Frameworks) are now considered one of the most versatile material classes in modern science. Their ability to harvest water from the atmosphere positions them at the center of global conversations about sustainability and climate resilience. For water-scarce regions, the implications are immense. Devices built with MOFs can extract clean water even in desert climates with very low humidity. They can support rural communities, agriculture and emergency response without relying on traditional water systems.Beyond water harvesting, MOFs enable:• Carbon capture• Hydrogen storage• Air purification• Advanced filtration• Catalytic processes• Environmental remediationThese applications make the Nobel Committee’s decision clear. His research is not simply a scientific milestone; it is a blueprint for the future.In its citation, the Nobel Committee emphasized that his work “transforms global challenges into solvable problems through molecular design.”The laureate himself reflected on the origins of his journey:“I learned early that scarcity is not a limitation. It is an invitation to think differently.Air is not empty. It holds everything we need if we learn how to unlock it.”A historic first for Jordan and a notable moment for the Middle EastThis year’s Nobel Prize carries additional significance. Jordan has never before had a Nobel laureate. This award marks a major scientific milestone for the country and shines a spotlight on the intellectual potential emerging from the region. While other Middle Eastern nations including Egypt, Israel, Iran, Yemen and Palestine have been recognized in the past, the number of laureates remains small. Jordan’s entry into this global circle is therefore both historic and symbolic. It signals that scientific excellence from the Arab world is increasingly being recognized on the world stage.What this means for the Gulf regionFew regions face climate constraints as acutely as the Gulf. High temperatures, limited freshwater reserves and rapid development place enormous pressure on water systems. While desalination remains indispensable, its environmental and energy costs are high. MOF technology offers a powerful complement.1. Water SecurityAir-harvesting can decentralize and diversify water sources, delivering clean water without large infrastructure.2. Climate TransitionMOFs support carbon capture and hydrogen storage, aligning with national sustainability agendas across the Gulf.3. Scientific LeadershipInvestment in advanced materials research can position Gulf nations at the forefront of climate and water innovation.4. Economic DiversificationApplications across energy, environment and manufacturing support long-term transformation toward knowledge-based economies. The journey from a child who imagined how to “catch air” to a scientist receiving the world’s highest scientific honor is a reminder that innovation begins with imagination and courage. It shows that even the harshest environments can inspire ideas that reshape the world. As Qatar and the wider Middle East pursue sustainability, resilience and scientific excellence, this Nobel Prize is more than a personal triumph. It is a regional moment of pride and a global symbol of what becomes possible when curiosity meets determination.____________________________________________FACT: What Are Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs)?Definition:Highly porous crystalline materials that act like molecular sponges.Why they matter:One gram can contain internal surface area comparable to a football field.Key applications:• Atmospheric water harvesting• Carbon capture• Hydrogen storage• Air purification• Filtration and catalysisWhy the Nobel Prize?They represent a fundamental shift in material design with direct applications to climate, energy and water security.

For 124 years, the Nobel Prize has stood as one of the world’s most respected distinctions, recognising discoveries and ideas that advance humanity. The prize was founded by Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist, engineer and industrialist whose inventions in explosives, including dynamite and safer detonation systems , built a vast international fortune. In his will, Nobel directed that this wealth should be used to honour individuals who had “conferred the greatest benefit to humankind”, turning personal success into a global legacy of progress. On 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, the world honours the 2025 Nobel Laureates. Nobel Day has become a defining moment in international recognition, celebrating achievements in science, literature, economic thought and peacebuilding. The 2025 awards speak directly to the challenges shaping the modern era: the defence of democracy, advances in medical research, breakthroughs in quantum physics, climate-relevant materials, deeper insights into innovation and a literary voice that captures the anxieties of contemporary life. From María Corina Machado’s struggle for democratic freedoms to discoveries in immunology, chemistry, physics and economics, and the visionary writing of László Krasznahorkai, the 2025 Nobel Prizes illustrate what becomes possible when knowledge, creativity and courage converge. The 2025 laureates, announced in October, are celebrated at a moment of political strain, rapid scientific progress and global transformation. Nobel assigned the Peace Prize to Norway’s Parliament because, at the time he wrote his will, Sweden and Norway shared a union but had separate governments. Norway’s reputation for diplomacy made it, in his view, the most credible guardian of a prize dedicated to peace. That tradition continues today: the Peace Prize is presented in Oslo, while all other Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm in the presence of His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.The 2025 Nobel laureates and their motivations**media[391542]**Nobel Peace Prize:Democracy defended in VenezuelaMaría Corina Machado receives the Peace Prize for her determined efforts to restore democratic freedoms in Venezuela. Despite intimidation, political exclusion and exile, she has become a leading figure in peaceful resistance to authoritarian rule. Her recognition underscores global concerns about the fragility of democratic institutions.Nobel Prize in Literature:The visionary voice of László KrasznahorkaiHungarian novelist László Krasznahorkai is honoured for his compelling and visionary body of work. His long, flowing prose and themes of collapse, transformation and spiritual unrest have shaped contemporary literature across Europe, Asia and the Americas.Nobel Prize in Medicine:Understanding the immune system’s self-controlMary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi receive the Medicine Prize for pioneering discoveries on regulatory T cells, the immune system’s mechanism for preventing attacks on the body’s own tissues. Their work has reshaped modern immunology and opened new avenues for treating autoimmune disease, cancer and transplant rejection.Nobel Prize in Physics:Quantum mechanics at human xcaleJohn Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis are recognised for demonstrating quantum tunnelling and energy quantisation in macroscopic electrical circuits. Their findings proved that quantum effects extend far beyond the microscopic realm and laid the foundation for superconducting qubits, accelerating efforts to develop practical quantum computers.Nobel Prize in Chemistry:Materials for a climate-challenged centurySusumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi are awarded the Chemistry Prize for developing metal–organic frameworks, or MOFs, a class of materials with immense internal surface area and critical environmental applications. MOFs have become central to carbon capture, hydrogen storage and water harvesting, making this research vital in a climate-constrained world.Prize in Economic Sciences:Innovation as the engine of prosperityJoel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt receive the Prize in Economic Sciences for theories explaining how technological innovation drives long-term economic growth. Their work clarifies why societies prosper when they embrace new ideas, offering insights that resonate strongly in an age defined by artificial intelligence, automation and global economic change. From democracy and literature to immunology, quantum physics, climate-focused chemistry and the economics of innovation, the 2025 Nobel Prizes reflect the most pressing questions of our time. They also reaffirm Alfred Nobel’s vision: that human progress depends on curiosity, creativity and the courage to challenge accepted limits. Awarded for more than a century, the Nobel Prizes continue to define what the world values most. In 2025, they once again highlight the individuals whose ideas and achievements are helping shape the future.

James Watson — the Nobel laureate co-credited with the discovery of DNA's double-helix structure, but whose reputation was tainted by his repeated racist remarks — has died aged 97.The eminent American biologist died Thursday in hospice care on Long Island in New York, said the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory, where he was based for much of his career.Watson went down as among the 20th century's most storied scientists for his 1953 discovery of the double helix, a breakthrough made with research partner Francis Crick.Along with Crick and Maurice Wilkins, Watson shared the 1962 Nobel Prize for their momentous work that gave rise to modern biology and opened the door to insights including on genetic code and protein synthesis.That ushered in a new era of modern life, allowing for revolutionary technologies in medicine, forensics and genetics, like criminal DNA testing or genetically manipulated plants.Watson was just 25 when he joined in on one of science's greatest discoveries. He later went on to do groundbreaking work in cancer research and mapping the human genome.His 1968 memoir *The Double Helix was a best-seller praised for its breezy writing about fierce competition in the name of scientific advancement.But on a personal level Watson was known as at best cantankerous and frank, at worst mean and bigoted.He routinely disparaged female scientists, including Rosalind Franklin, whose work on X-ray diffraction images of DNA offered the clue that made Watson and Crick's modeling possible.Franklin, who worked with Wilkins, did not receive the Nobel. She died in 1958, and the prestigious prize is neither shared by more than three people nor given posthumously.Watson faced few consequences for his behavior until 2007 when he told a newspaper he was "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours — whereas all the testing says not really."He apologised — but was swiftly removed as his lab's chancellor and his public image never recovered.Born on April 6, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois, at the aqe of 15 James Dewey Watson won a scholarship to the University of Chicago.He received a PhD in zoology in 1950 from Indiana University Bloomington, and embarked on an academic path that took him to European universities including Cambridge, where he met Crick and began a historic partnership.Working with X-ray images obtained by Franklin and Wilkins, researchers at King's College in London, Watson and Crick started parsing out the double helix.Their first serious effort came up short.But their second attempt — an image of Franklin's proved key, and the duo had it without her knowledge — resulted in Watson and Crick presenting the double-helical configuration.The now iconic depiction resembles a twisting ladder.Their model also showed how the DNA molecule could duplicate itself, answering a fundamental question in the field of genetics.Watson and Crick published their findings in the British journal *Nature in 1953 to great acclaim.Watson taught at Harvard for 15 years before becoming director of what today is known as the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory, which he transformed into a global hub of molecular biology research.From 1988 to 1992, Watson was one of the directors of the Human Genome Project at the National Institutes of Health, where he oversaw the mapping of the genes in the human chromosomes.He shared two sons, Rufus and Duncan, with his wife Elizabeth.And he received honorary degrees from dozens of universities, wrote many books and was heavily decorated. Jeff Goldblum played him in a BBC-produced film about the double helix.On Friday his former lab commended his "extraordinary contributions."But the institution had ultimately severed ties with the scientist, including stripping him of his emeritus status — in a PBS documentary that aired in 2019, Watson once again made "reprehensible" remarks.