King honours Nobel-nominated chemist Omar Yaghi

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday honoured Jordanian scientist Omar Yaghi,  a world-renowned chemist and professor of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley.

During the meeting, held at Al Husseiniya Palace, His Majesty expressed his pride in the achievements of Jordanian expatriates, noting that the Kingdom always welcomes the return of Jordanian scientists “to direct their knowledge and creativity to the service of their homeland”, according to a Royal Court statement. 

The Monarch bestowed the King Abdullah II Order of Distinction of the First Class to Yaghi, in appreciation of his efforts in scientific research, education and chemistry. 

For his part, Yaghi, in the presence of HRH Princess Sumaya, said he is about to launch an initiative for science and technology that will carry His Majesty’s name , so as to motivate Jordanian young people to excel in these fields.

The chemist also presented a briefing on a project for an organic metals laboratory, which will be implemented by the University of California, Berkeley at the Royal Scientific Society. The laboratory will be a research facility to support  youth and researchers from Jordan and the region in the fields of chemistry, physics and engineering. 

Yaghi, who was classified as the second most influential chemist in the world in 2011 by a Thomson Reuters study, was nominated for Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2015.