12 November, 2025
The 2025 list of Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers includes 16 researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), including 15 of its 185 faculty.
This number surpasses last year's 14, demonstrating the continued and rising research excellence at the University. It also represents 59% of Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers in Saudi Arabia and most at any institute among Arab nations.
2025 Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers are considered the world’s most influential and whose academic publications rank in the top 1% of cited research papers between the years 2014 and 2024. In total, Clarivate recognized 6868 highly cited researchers worldwide this year.
“KAUST scientists embody the spirit of creativity and innovation that transforms discovery into impact for Saudi Arabia and the world,” said KAUST President Sir Edward Byrne AC. “Clarivate’s recognition of so many of our researchers stands as a testament to a culture of scientific excellence and a deep sense of purpose that define our university and its strategic contribution to the Kingdom’s progress.”
Some of this year’s notable research accomplishments by KAUST 2025 Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers include a landmark study on land degradation led by Fernando Maestre in collaboration with the United Nations and four other KAUST 2025 Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers (Hylke Beck, Carlos Duarte, Matthew McCabe, and Yoshihide Wada). The study gives the most quantitative measurement available of the global environmental and socioeconomic costs of land degradation and several policy solutions. By cleverly tracking sea turtles, another report by Carlos Duarte shows that the Red Sea has a much larger blue economy – the sustainable use of ocean resources – than previously thought. And research by Osman Bakr and other KAUST colleagues led to a quantum random number generator of unprecedented speed.
In total, the 16 Highly Cited Researchers represent 13 nationalities, demonstrating the international environment of the University and its ability to attract top researchers from all over the world.
Below is the full list of KAUST members named Highly Cited Researchers in 2025.
| Name | Title | KAUST Academic Program | Impact Statement |
| Thomas Allen | Research Scientist | Materials Science and Engineering, and Applied Physics | More efficient solar cells for a clean energy future |
| Osman Bakr | Professor | Materials Science and Engineering, and Applied Physics | Nanomaterials that turn light into sustainable power |
| Derya Baran | Associate Professor | Materials Science and Engineering, and Applied Physics | Engineering smart materials for a sustainable energy future |
| Hylke Beck | Assistant Professor | Earth Systems, Science and Engineering | Understanding and predicting climate hazards |
| Luigi Cavallo | Professor | Chemistry | Next-generation catalysts to power cleaner chemical manufacturing |
| Thomas Crowther | Professor | Environmental Science and Engineering | Addressing biodiversity loss and climate change through ecological research |
| Stefaan De Wolf | Professor | Materials Science and Engineering, and Applied Physics | Lowering the cost of solar power |
| Carlos Duarte | Ibn Sina Distinguished Professor | Marine Science | Restoring the ocean to a healthy state |
| Mohamed Eddouadi | Ibn Alhaytham Distinguished Professor | Chemistry | Designing porous materials for a sustainable future |
| Fernando Maestre | Professor | Environmental Science and Engineering | Understanding and restoring arid ecosystems for a sustainable future |
| Matthew McCabe | Professor | Environmental Science and Engineering | Earth observations for climate, water, and food security |
| Omar F. Mohammed | Professor | Materials Science and Engineering, and Applied Physics | Advanced experimental tools for light-to-energy conversion applications |
| Yun Hau Ng | Professor | Chemical Engineering | Using sunlight to convert waste to chemical fuels |
| Haavard Rue | Professor | Statistics | Turning uncertainty into insight with Bayesian probabilities |
| Yoshihide Wada | Professor | Plant Science; Environmental Science and Engineering | Quantifying climate and human impact on global water and land resources |
| Huabin Zhang | Assistant Professor | Chemistry | Heterogeneous catalysis for green hydrogen |