–Dr. Mohammed Al-Ali: The award has established a new phase in promoting research and academic culture.

TRENDS Research and Advisory has announced the winners of the first edition of the TRENDS Hub Scientific Research Award, aimed at encouraging creative, effective and innovative scientific research on issues of interest to TRENDS. The award spans various topics, reflecting the Center’s broad areas of focus.

TRENDS will honor the winners of the award, in both Arabic and English categories, during the Center’s Bronze Jubilee celebration on September 9th. The award covers four distinct research fields: Political, Security and Military Issues; Economic, Development, Climate and Sustainability Issues; Cultural and Social Issues; and Technology and Artificial Intelligence.

The award’s high-level Advisory Committee, composed of Prof. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and Prof. Mark Tessler, Co-founder and Co-Principal Investigator of the Arab Barometer, selected three winners for the Arabic category and three for the English category from among 78 research papers submitted across the four fields. All submissions were rigorously reviewed and evaluated based on their importance, impact and adherence to accepted research methodologies.

Winners of the Arabic category:

• First winner: Samah Al-Baradai from the University of Tunis, Tunisia, for “Cultural and Social Issues”.
• Second winner: Yasser Qteishat from Jordan, for “Technology and Artificial Intelligence”.
• Third winner: Nidaa El-Sayed from Cairo University, Egypt, for “Economic, Development, Climate and Sustainability Issues”.

Winners of the English category:

• First winner: Maryam Al-Saeedi from Zayed University, for “Technology and Artificial Intelligence”.
• Second winner: Mohammed Al-Azaizeh from Zayed University, for “Cultural and Social Issues”.
• Third winner: Asma Al-Afifi for “Cultural and Social Issues”.

Promoting Research Culture

Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS Research and Advisory, stated that the first edition of the TRENDS Hub Award succeeded in attracting outstanding researchers from various countries who submitted valuable research papers across four diverse fields. He added that the award has marked a new phase in promoting research culture and supporting academic communities, fostering healthy competition among researchers who have demonstrated their capacity for sustainable scientific and intellectual creativity and innovation.

Dr. Al-Ali congratulated the six winners from both the Arabic and English categories, noting that the Center will celebrate their research achievements during the Bronze Jubilee celebration on September 9th. This event is particularly significant in the Center’s journey, marking a culmination of its research, scientific and intellectual accomplishments.

He further highlighted that the TRENDS Hub Award, in its first edition, sought to invest in and develop scientific research and knowledge, reflecting TRENDS’ commitment to enhancing research culture and its vital role in driving scientific achievements beyond conventional boundaries. He emphasized that the award represents an important step in the Center’s strategy to support creative researchers and establish the values of knowledge in all fields of scientific research.

Advancing Science and Knowledge

Fahd Al-Mahri, Head of TRENDS Dubai Sector, emphasized that the TRENDS Hub Award primarily aims to stimulate scientific research and encourage researchers to immerse themselves in various research fields, contributing to the advancement of modern science and knowledge. The award also plays a role in strengthening ties between universities and think tanks, facilitating the exchange of scientific expertise.

Al-Mahri noted that the award has motivated researchers to present creative and innovative ideas and encouraged them to engage in research connected to societal issues, creating a positive impact on community development. He added that the majority of the research papers submitted focused on cultural and social issues, followed by economic, development, climate, and sustainability issues, along with papers in the field of technology and artificial intelligence.

TRENDS Hub Awards

The top three winners in both the Arabic and English categories will receive a Certificate of Appreciation and a Financial Incentive Award (first winner: $5,000, second winner: $3,000, third winner: $2,000). The winning research papers will be published on TRENDS’ digital platforms and social media channels. Additionally, the winning researchers will be eligible for a research fellowship at TRENDS and will have priority in attending training courses conducted by the Center in their areas of study.