KFUPM innovators honored

Two leading researchers at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) were among the winners of the Almarai Prize for Scientific Innovation.
S.M. Javaid Zaidi and S.U. Rahman, both from India, received their awards from Riyadh Gov. Prince Sattam at a glittering ceremony organized by the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) recently in Riyadh.
Javaid Zaidi and Rahman won the prize for their innovative and creative work in the category of environment.
Prominent among those who were present at the event were Mohammed Al-Suwaiyel, KACST president and chairman of the prize board; and Prince Sultan bin Mohammed bin Saud Al-Kabeer, chairman of Almarai Corp. and vice president of the prize board.
The Almarai Prize for Scientific Innovation is a national award, given only to meritorious people for their highly original work. Researchers from the Kingdom’s 37 universities, colleges, SABIC and KACST research centers and Saudi Aramco participate in the competition.
The award is supervised and administered by KACST with a commitment to maintaining high standards.
The prize is given for outstanding research contributions in the selected scientific and engineering categories. This year, the prize was given for the contributions in the area of environmental science and engineering.
The award consists of a cash prize of SR 100,000, a trophy and a certificate.
Javaid Zaidi and Rahman invented and devised a new method and process for removing heavy metals from industrial waste water. They have been engaged in research for the development of components and process for clean energy and a clean environment at KFUPM. With the help of this device, the problem of toxic pollutants in waste water discharged into rivers and oceans can be solved, benefiting both the environment and human life.
“This award has boosted our morale,” Javaid Zaidi told Arab News. “This will help us to do more research work and take up more challenging projects that are beneficial to society and the environment.”
Rahman thanked KACST and Almarai for the honor. “We want to thank them for selecting us for this prestigious award, and our thanks also go to KFUPM for providing us with the research facilities and the right environment to carry out the work,” he said.
Javaid Zaidi is a distinguished chemical engineering alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University. He is well known among the Aligarh Muslim University’s fraternity and a visiting scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Rahman is the associate professor of chemical engineering at KFUPM and is a member of a number of high-powered committees and Indian school boards.