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DUBAI: Arab chemist Omar M. Yaghi, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, sharing the honor with Susumu Kitagawa (Kyoto University) and Richard Robson (University of Melbourne) “for the development of metal-organic frameworks.”

Yaghi, born in Jordan to Palestinian parents, was granted Saudi citizenship in 2021. In 2015 he won the King Faisal International Prize for Science for seminal contributions to molecular architecture.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said the laureates created a new MOF whose vast internal cavities allowed gases and other chemicals to flow in and out. MOFs have opened routes to harvesting water from desert air, capturing carbon dioxide, storing toxic gases and catalyzing reactions, among other uses.

The prize is worth 11 million Swedish kronor ($1.2 million), shared equally by the recipients.

Beyond Berkeley, Yaghi co-directs the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology-UC Berkeley Center of Excellence on nanomaterials for clean energy, reflecting extensive research ties with Saudi partners in areas including MOFs and nanocrystals.

RIYADH: Every year on Oct. 8, the world celebrates World Octopus Day, a symbol of marine biodiversity that highlights the uniqueness of life beneath the water’s surface.

The octopus is one of the most extraordinary and intelligent creatures of the sea, known for its remarkable abilities in camouflage, adaptation, and complex behavior.

Its memory and capacity for learning have made it a subject of fascination for scientists and researchers worldwide.

In the Kingdom’s waters, particularly in the Red Sea, the octopus’s uniqueness is on full display.

����ֱ��’s marine environment is an intricate ecosystem that supports an incredible variety of marine life, including several species of octopus, all of which play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance.

Scientific studies have confirmed the presence of at least eight documented species and three potential species of octopus in the Red Sea, a hidden haven for octopus evolution due to its unique conditions, such as high salinity and elevated temperatures.

Octopuses in the Red Sea are found at depths ranging from just two meters to 200 meters, living among coral reefs and sandy sea beds.

These creatures make up between 3.1 percent to 3.5 percent of the world’s known octopus species diversity, a testament to the exceptional biodiversity of the Red Sea.

Over the course of five field research missions, Saudi scientific teams collected 87 marine samples from various locations along the western coast, including coral reefs and coastal areas.

Their findings revealed the Red Sea hosts a range of octopus species, such as the diurnal octopus (Octopus cyanea), known for its daytime activity, and the Abdopus horridus, a master of camouflage that blends seamlessly into the reefs.

The discovery of additional species that haven’t yet been recorded globally further underscores the unique and diverse marine life of the Red Sea.

These groundbreaking scientific findings are central to ����ֱ��’s ongoing efforts to protect its marine environment and conserve natural resources, in line with Vision 2030, which prioritizes environmental sustainability.

A range of government agencies, led by the Saudi Red Sea Authority, are working together to safeguard the marine environment.

These coordinated efforts ensure that future generations will continue to benefit from and appreciate the Red Sea’s unparalleled biodiversity.