Saudi Scientist Omar Yaghi Wins 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Saudi scientist Omar Yaghi, alongside Susumu Kitagawa and Richard Robson, has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking work in developing metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Wednesday. 

MOFs are crystalline compounds with ultra-porous structures that have revolutionized materials chemistry, offering new possibilities in areas like clean energy storage, gas separation, and environmental sustainability. The Nobel Committee praised the trio's work as providing chemists with “powerful tools to tackle global challenges,” emphasizing the importance of their contributions in an era increasingly defined by environmental and energy crises.

Born in Jordan to Palestinian parents, Yaghi was granted Saudi citizenship in 2021 as part of a royal initiative to naturalize distinguished global talents in science, medicine, and engineering. The move is part of Saudi Arabia’s broader effort to build a knowledge-based economy under the framework of Vision 2030, which seeks to localize innovation and attract world-class expertise to the Kingdom.

This year’s chemistry award is the third Nobel Prize announcement of 2025, following the prizes in Medicine and Physics earlier this week. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry, first awarded in 1901, includes a reward of 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1.2 million), to be shared among the three laureates.

Last year’s Chemistry Nobel went to scientists David Baker, John Jumper, and Demis Hassabis for their revolutionary advances in protein structure prediction, which have transformed modern drug discovery.

Omar Yaghi's recognition in 2025 further cements his status as one of the world’s leading chemists. His Nobel Prize not only honors decades of innovative research but also signals Saudi Arabia’s rising role in global science and innovation.

The Nobel Prizes, founded by Alfred Nobel, a chemist and the inventor of dynamite, have recognized the world’s most influential achievements in science, peace, and literature for over a century. With this year’s award, Omar Yaghi becomes a symbol of scientific excellence and a beacon of the Kingdom’s aspirations to lead on the global stage in innovation and discovery.