Eighteen KAUST scientists were named among the world's most influential researchers by Clarivate. These researchers have authored studies in the top 1% of scholarly citations worldwide over the past decade. This is an increase from 15 in 2022, representing almost 10% of KAUST's total faculty. Why it matters: This recognition highlights KAUST's growing influence in global research and its commitment to producing impactful scientific contributions in the Middle East.
Clarivate Web of Science Group recognized fifteen KAUST faculty members and one postdoctoral researcher among the 2020 Highly Cited Researchers. These individuals rank in the top 1% of research cited worldwide across diverse fields. They are leaders in health, environment, communications, and food security. Why it matters: This recognition highlights KAUST's commitment to pioneering research and its growing influence in addressing globally relevant challenges.
KAUST's Vice President for Research Jean M.J. Fréchet has been cited over 100,000 times. Fréchet's research contributions have had a significant impact in his field. Why it matters: This milestone highlights KAUST's growing influence in scientific research and the impact of its faculty.
Marcus Engsig at DERC has developed DomiRank, a new centrality metric to quantify the dominance of nodes within networks. DomiRank integrates local and global topological information to determine the importance of each node for network stability. The research demonstrates that nodes with high DomiRank values indicate vulnerable areas heavily dependent on dominant nodes. Why it matters: This metric can help identify critical infrastructure components and vulnerabilities in complex systems, enhancing resilience against targeted attacks.
KAUST has 16 researchers on the 2025 Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers list, representing 59% of the total from Saudi Arabia. The list recognizes researchers whose publications rank in the top 1% of citations between 2014 and 2024. Some notable research includes work on land degradation, the Red Sea's blue economy, and quantum random number generation. Why it matters: This recognition highlights KAUST's growing research influence and its ability to attract top international talent, contributing to Saudi Arabia's scientific advancement.
Clarivate's 2022 list of Highly Cited Researchers includes multiple KAUST faculty members. These researchers are recognized for being in the top 1% of cited research globally, with representation across computer science, materials science, and other fields. The KAUST faculty named include Carlos Duarte, Pierre Magistretti, Matthew F. McCabe, and Mark Tester. Why it matters: Recognition of KAUST faculty highlights the university's growing research prominence and impact in key scientific domains.
Four KAUST researchers were named in the "Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researchers 2014." The researchers are Jean M.J. Frechet (Chemistry), Victor M. Calo (Computer Science), Mohamed Eddaoudi (Chemistry), and Heribert Hirt (Plant & Animal Science). The list recognizes researchers who rank in the top 1% most cited for their subject field and year of publication. Why it matters: This recognition highlights KAUST's contributions to impactful scientific research and its standing within the global research community.
Prof. Mérouane Debbah, Chief Researcher at the AI Cross-Center Unit and DSRC, has been ranked No. 1 in France and 180th globally in Electronics and Electrical Engineering by Research.com. He has an H-index of 98 and over 47000 citations. Debbah was also recognized as a 2022 AI 2000 Most Influential Scholar in Internet of Things for contributions between 2012 and 2021. Why it matters: This recognition highlights the growing AI research talent within the GCC region, particularly in areas related to communication technologies and IoT.