Jerusalem, MINA – Prof. Dr. Omar Yaghi, a Palestinian scientist who grew up in a refugee camp in Jordan, has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work developing new forms of molecular architecture with the potential to address climate change.
Yaghi shares the prize with Susumu Kitagawa and Richard Robson for their “development of metal-organic frameworks” (MOFs)—interlinked molecular structures that can capture, store, or break down harmful gases and chemicals, Middle East Eye reported on Wednesday.
The Nobel Academy noted that MOFs could be used to “harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases, or catalyze chemical reactions,” adding that the discovery “may help solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges.”
In a phone interview with Adam Smith, Head of Scientific Communication for Nobel Prize Outreach, Yaghi described his feelings: “I feel thrilled and deeply moved.” Smith highlighted that Yaghi, 60, is the first Nobel laureate born in a Jordanian refugee camp.
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Yaghi was born and raised in a Palestinian refugee camp in Amman before moving to the United States at age 15. “I grew up in a very modest home,” he recalled. “There were dozens of people in a single small room, sharing space with the livestock we kept. My parents could barely read or write.”
Reflecting on his journey, Yaghi said, “It has been a long path, and science made it possible. Science is the greatest equalizer in the world. Talent and skill exist everywhere, and that’s why we must focus on maximizing people’s potential.”
King Abdullah II of Jordan congratulated Yaghi in an X post, writing: “Proud of Jordanian scientist, Professor Omar Yaghi, for winning the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. His achievement is a source of pride for Jordan.”
Yaghi earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Illinois and is currently a professor at the University of California, Berkeley.[]
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