KUWAIT: The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) on Wednesday announced the winners of the 43rd edition of the prestigious Kuwait Prize for the year 2024. The annual award honors Kuwaiti and Arab scientists for their exceptional scientific and intellectual contributions on a global scale. In a press statement, KFAS said the winners were approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors and Awards Council following recommendations from specialized jury and selection committees across the various award fields.
In the category of Basic Sciences — specifically Biological Sciences — the award was granted to Professor Ashraf Ibrahim from Jordan, Director of the Doctoral Program in Translational Medicine at the Lundquist Institute, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in the United States. Professor Ibrahim was recognized for his pioneering research in applied biology and translational medicine, particularly in developing innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for chronic and complex diseases.
In the Applied Sciences category — Engineering Sciences — the prize was jointly awarded to Professor Charbel Farhat of Lebanon, Professor of Aircraft Structures, Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University, USA, and Professor Khaled Latif of Tunisia, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). KFAS highlighted their groundbreaking contributions to systems engineering, communications, and intelligent design, which have played a key role in advancing global engineering industries.
For the Economics and Social Sciences category — Management Sciences — the award was jointly given to Professor Dima Al-Jamali of Lebanon, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Canadian University Dubai, and Professor Shawkat Hamoudeh of Jordan, Professor of Economics and International Business at Drexel University, USA. Both recipients were honored for their influential research in governance, sustainability, and global markets, which have significantly enriched management theories and their applications in today’s economic landscape.
In the Humanities, Arts, and Literature category — focusing on the History of Civilizations and Human Thought — the award went to Professor Zeidan Kafafi of Jordan, a professor of archaeology at Yarmouk University. Professor Kafafi was recognized for his distinguished work in archaeology and cultural history, which has deepened scholarly understanding of human societal development across the Arab region.
KFAS noted that the Kuwait Prize, established in 1979, reflects the foundation’s mission to support scientific research and encourage Arab researchers across a wide range of disciplines. The prize is awarded annually in four categories — basic sciences, applied sciences, economic and social sciences, and arts and literature — while a fifth prize in emerging specialized sciences is presented biennially. The award continues to attract increasing interest from researchers across the Arab world.- KUNA
