On January 17, 2025, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, honored the six distinguished recipients of the Great Arab Minds 2024 awards during a ceremony at the Museum of the Future in Dubai.

The Great Arab Minds initiative, recognized as the ‘Arab Nobel Prize,’ aims to celebrate and support exceptional Arab talent across various fields, fostering innovation and excellence throughout the Arab world.

The 2024 awardees include:

Professor Yasmine Belkaid (Algeria) – Medicine: President of the Institut Pasteur in France, honored for her groundbreaking work in immunology, infectious diseases, and the role of microbes in enhancing immunity and disease prevention.

Professor Oussama Khatib (Syria) – Engineering and Technology: Director of the Robotics Laboratory at Stanford University, recognized for his pioneering contributions to robotics engineering, including the development of advanced robots for deep-sea exploration.

Professor Yacine Aït-Sahalia (Algeria) – Economics: Professor of Finance and Economics at Princeton University, awarded for his innovative methods in financial econometrics, particularly in modeling high-frequency financial data and continuous-time processes.

Professor Omar Yaghi (Jordan) – Natural Sciences: Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, recognized for his significant contributions to chemistry, including the development of metal-organic frameworks.

Dia Al-Azzawi (Iraq) – Literature and Arts: Celebrated artist honored for his influential work in modern Arab art, blending cultural heritage with contemporary expression.

Lina Ghotmeh (Lebanon) – Architecture and Design: Architect and professor recognized for her innovative designs that integrate architecture with social and environmental sustainability.

Each laureate received a trophy and a monetary award of 1 million AED, underscoring the UAE’s commitment to fostering intellectual growth and innovation in the Arab world.

The ceremony highlighted the UAE’s dedication to recognizing and supporting Arab scholars, scientists, and artists, aiming to inspire future generations to contribute to the region’s intellectual renaissance.