A Lebanese professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who specialises in wireless technology and wireless sensing has become the second recipient of the Great Arab Minds Award.
Fadil Adib, associate professor at MIT, won the 2023 award in engineering and technology for his research and inventions that "have significantly expanded the possibilities of wireless sensing technology", the award announcement said.
Prof Adib said he was thrilled to win the award and earn recognition for his accomplishments in the Arab world.
"On one hand, it's an honour, and on the other hand, it's humbling to be considered as someone that younger generations are going to look up to and be inspired by," he told The National.
The 34-year-old tenured professor said he wished that there had been a Great Arab Minds Award when he was growing up in Tripoli.
"I wish there was something like this when I was growing up that had at least lessened some of those doubts because we have a lot of self-doubt," he said.
"And my hope is that it will encourage people to realise that by shedding light on the accomplishments that we've done, that they are capable of making significant impacts on the world, through technology and through science, and that if people work hard enough, then they're able to achieve accomplishments like this."
His research has led to advancements in various areas, including through-wall vision and sensing, enabling the detection of objects and vibrations behind walls, under rubble, and numerous other applications.
"In addition to his accomplishments in engineering and technology, Prof Fadel Adib has made substantial contributions to the field of ocean exploration, advancing deep-sea exploration by developing battery-free devices that harness energy from ocean waves," the announcement added.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, who announced the award on social media, congratulated Prof Adib and praised him for his work to date.
"The Great Arab Minds Award aims primarily to boost the confidence of Arab individuals in their capabilities and potentials, introducing generations to honourable and exemplary role models," Sheikh Mohammed said, writing on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Today, we proudly announce the winner of the Great Arab Minds Award in the field of engineering and technology, Professor Fadil Adib from Lebanon.
"He is an associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who has published over 80 research papers and holds patents in the fields of engineering and technology.
"His significant contributions include advancements in wireless sensing, particularly in wireless communication and the detection of objects and vibrations behind walls and under rubble. Best of luck to Professor Fadil Adib!"
The Great Arab Minds initiative was set up by Sheikh Mohammed in January last year, to identify the brightest minds in the Arab world and harness their ideas.
Dubai's Museum of the Future is a base for the Dh100 million ($27.22 million) Great Arab Minds programme, which is overseen by four cabinet ministers.
Presenting to the President
After graduating from the American University of Beirut with a bachelor of engineering in computer and communications in 2011, Prof Adib received a Masters (2013) and PhD (2016) in computer science from MIT.
His research has led to several start-ups. He is currently chief executive and co-founder of Cartesian Systems, which "aims to sense the physical world at an unprecedented scale and precision", according to his biography on MIT's website.
His PhD research in 2016 led to the founding of Emerald Innovations, whose devices are used for remote health monitoring of thousands of patients.
In 2015, he gave a demonstration to President Barack Obama in the White House of a wireless device that uses Wi-Fi signals to track an individual’s movements.
Among the current projects his Signal Kinetics group is working on are battery-free underwater cameras that could explore uncharted regions of the oceans, tracking pollution and the effects of climate change.
Prof Adib is the second Great Arab Minds Award winner to be announced.
Last month, US-based Saudi surgeon Dr Hani Najm won the Great Arab Minds Award in Medicine for his innovative new ways of performing operations on patients with complex heart conditions.
Dr Najm, who works in Cleveland, Ohio, was honoured "in recognition of his outstanding contributions and pioneering innovations in the field of heart surgery for children and adults", the award announcement said.
The congenital cardiac surgery specialist has successfully performed thousands of operations, the announcement added.
Dh100 million budget
The initiative has a fund of Dh100 million to support and empower innovative and talented Arabs, providing opportunities for success, creativity, and achievement in their respective countries.
It is intended to halt the growing trend of brain-drain in Arab nations by encouraging talented individuals to stay in their home countries and make the most of the available resources.
The initiative seeks to help Arab thought leaders, scholars, and scientists translate their ideas into real-life breakthroughs and solutions.
It also strives to empower a cluster of Arab scientists and thinkers, as well as build a network of exceptional talent in various fields.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,400m
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
