His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, congratulated Jordanian-American Professor Omar Yaghi on winning the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, alongside Japanese scientist Susumu Kitagawa and British scientist Richard Robson, in recognition of their invention of molecular structures with large surface areas that allow gases and other chemicals to pass through.

Professor Yaghi was honored by His Highness a year ago with the “Arab Geniuses” award, launched in 2022 to discover, appreciate, empower, and amplify the impact of gifted individuals in the Arab world.

In a tweet on X, His Highness said: “A year ago, we honored Professor Omar Yaghi with the Arab Geniuses Award in the natural sciences category.. Today we congratulate him on winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.. Congratulations to Professor Omar.. and before that, congratulations to the Arab world for these minds we proudly present to nations.. The Arab nation is full of geniuses and rich in minds.. Our message is to restore confidence in ourselves, our youth, and our scientists.. This is our message in the Arab Geniuses Award and all our humanitarian, civilizational, and knowledge projects.”

Three Scientists and the 2025 Nobel Prize

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists for developing metal-organic frameworks, molecular structures capable of trapping gases, including Omar Yaghi, Susumu Kitagawa, and Richard Robson.

The Nobel Committee stated that these structures allow gases and chemicals to pass through and can be used to collect water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases, or catalyze chemical reactions.

Heiner Linke, Chair of the Nobel Chemistry Committee, said: “These metal-organic frameworks have enormous potential, providing possibilities that were previously unimaginable for designing materials with new functions.”

Innovations by the Three Scientists

In 1989, Richard Robson tested a new method using copper ions to form wide and organized crystals. Omar Yaghi and Susumu Kitagawa then developed a “robust foundation” for building these structures, making pioneering discoveries.

Kitagawa demonstrated that gases can flow in and out of the structures and predicted the possibility of making the metal-organic frameworks flexible. Meanwhile, Yaghi created a highly stable and modifiable metal-organic framework, giving it attractive new properties.

Practical Applications and Future Uses

Yaghi’s research showed the possibility of extracting water from desert air, where the material captured water vapor at night and released it at dawn to collect water.

These structures can separate carbon dioxide from air or industrial exhaust pipes and remove toxic molecules from wastewater, opening new horizons in environmental and energy fields.

Scientists’ Reactions

Yaghi expressed his surprise, joy, and emotion, recalling his humble origins, saying: “Science is the greatest force for equality in the world.”

Kitagawa said in a phone interview after the announcement: “I am very proud and happy that my long-term research has been recognized.”