Civilizations do not live on their glories… rather, they renew their standing with their scholars today

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, congratulated Professor Majid Sharqi for winning the “Arab Geniuses 2025” award, in the natural sciences category, stressing the importance of Arab scientific and research contributions and cognitive achievements in the progress of human societies, since sciences have, throughout the ages, formed a fundamental pillar in the cultural progress of the Arab world.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, in a post on his Highness’s account on the “X” platform, yesterday: “Civilizations do not live on their glories, but rather renew their status with their scholars today. We congratulate the winner of the Arab Geniuses Award in the Natural Sciences category for the year 2025, Professor Majid Sharqi, Honorary Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, who made pioneering scientific contributions in monitoring ultra-fast motion at the atomic level.”

His Highness added: “Professor Majid Sharqi devoted his scientific career to developing tools and experiments that enabled scientists to monitor the movement of molecules and materials with unprecedented femtosecond precision. He contributed to the development of ultra-fast X-ray techniques, published more than 450 scientific papers, and achieved more than 23,000 scientific citations from around the world, making him considered one of the most influential scientists in ultra-fast spectroscopy and materials and energy sciences. Congratulations to Professor Majid Sharqi on this achievement. For those who think that Arab scientific creativity is confined to the past, the Arab Geniuses Award confirms that our present bears names that are no less influential, no less accomplished, and no less ambitious.”

The “Geniuses of the Arabs” project translates the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, by honoring the pioneers, innovators and ambitious people who open new horizons for their Arab societies, in science, medicine, literature, art, economics and construction.

The “Arab Geniuses” Award in the Natural Sciences category for the year 2025 was awarded to Professor Majid Sharqi, Honorary Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to understanding the interactions of light with matter, and his contribution to developing techniques and applications that enabled scientists to study ultra-fast movement within molecules and materials at the atomic level with unprecedented accuracy.

Professor Majid Sharqi devoted his scientific career to exploring molecular movements and dimensions that unfold in very precise time periods, which opened new experimental fields in chemistry, and revealed scientific phenomena that could not previously be monitored using traditional methods.

Professor Majid Sharqi contributed to the development of ultra-fast X-ray techniques, which contributed to significant progress in understanding the interactions between light and matter, and opened broad horizons for scientific research in chemistry, physics, materials science, and renewable energy.

Professor Majid Sharqi also contributed to the innovation of modern research tools, such as two-dimensional ultraviolet (UV) techniques and ultra-fast circular diffraction, which enhanced researchers’ ability to study complex biological systems and advanced solid materials.

In addition, Professor Majid Sharqi published more than 450 scientific papers, and recorded more than 23,000 international scientific citations in the fields of physics of ultrafast interactions, materials science, and energy.

He participated in many international scientific committees, and was also editor-in-chief of the Journal of Chemical Physics issued by the Dutch academic publishing company Elsevier, and he is the founder of the Structural Dynamics journal of the American Institute of Physics.

Professor Majid Sharqi is distinguished by the fact that he developed tools that allowed him to reach new levels of scientific knowledge, and also opened the way for other researchers to delve deeper into the topics of their research.

One of the most prominent tools invented by Professor Sharqi is the ultra-fast X-ray spectrometer, which enabled him to capture signals and coordinates in real time with very high accuracy measured in femtoseconds, and provided access to spectral regions that have not been explored so far, and is ideal for studying transition metal oxides with wide band gaps.

Professor Majid Sharqi is currently devoting his efforts to employing nonlinear X-rays to study solar materials, due to their ability to monitor the movement of charges and their spread in solid materials instantly.

He also continues to contribute to the development of the X-ray free electron laser (XFEL), which began in the early 2010s in the United States, Japan, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and South Korea, to advance nonlinear optics and spectroscopy. Professor Majid Sharqi has proven the feasibility of these studies on metal oxides.

The Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Supreme Committee of the “Geniuses of the Arabs” initiative, Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Gergawi, made a video call with Professor Majid Sharqi, during which he informed him of his victory in the “Geniuses of the Arabs 2025” award in the natural sciences category, where he praised the hundreds of scientific research and experimental studies he presented in materials science, chemistry, physics, and formations of light, which are successively and continuously quoted by thousands of researchers and graduate students from various universities, institutes, and research centers about The world.

Mohammed Al Gergawi said that the establishment by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, of the “Geniuses of the Arabs” award filled a great void, and presented a comprehensive and comprehensive Arab appreciation award, covering the most important categories of science, technology, engineering, economics, architecture, literature and the arts, and celebrating various Arab minds.

He stressed that Professor Majid Sharqi, who, after decades of scientific contributions and research, deserved the title of the largest Arab award, will remain the inspiring scientific stature that Arab youth aspire to aspiring to employ science in resuming development paths and accelerating the pace of building knowledge economies and societies in the Arab region, which are full of opportunities, energies and potentials.

The Natural Sciences Committee for the “Geniuses of the Arabs” Award for the year 2025 included the Senior Vice President for Scientific Research and Director General of the Institute of Scientific Research at New York University Abu Dhabi, the University Professor for Research in Biology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Cytology, as Chairman of the Committee, Professor Siham al-Din Hussein Galadari, the Dean of the Kennedy School of Science and Professor of Physics at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Noureddine Melikshi, and the Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at the American University in Cairo, Dr. Jihan Rajai, The researcher at the Thomas Jefferson Laboratory in the United States, Dr. Latifa Al-Wadghiri, and the professor at the Core Institute for Mathematical Sciences at New York University Abu Dhabi, Dr. Nader Al-Masmoudi.

The “Geniuses of the Arabs” initiative constitutes the largest award of its kind in the Arab world, which has become known today as the “Arab Nobel Prize,” in honor of the exceptional and distinguished Arab minds in the world, especially since the winner of this category in the “Geniuses of the Arabs 2024” edition, Professor Omar Yaghi, also won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for the year 2025.

The award highlights the success stories of prominent creative geniuses in their specializations, to serve as inspiring role models for Arab youth who are thirsty to play an active role in enriching the human scientific and knowledge stock.

Mohammed bin Rashid:

• For those who think that Arab scientific creativity is confined to the past, the Arab Geniuses Award confirms that our present bears names of no less impact, no less achievement, and no less ambition.

• Professor Majid Sharqi made pioneering scientific contributions in monitoring ultra-fast movement at the atomic level.

Muhammad Al-Gergawi:

• Mohammed bin Rashid’s establishment of the “Geniuses of the Arabs” Award filled a large void and presented an award that celebrates various Arab minds.