​Professor of Geophysics/ Seismology at the University of Jordan (UJ) Najib Abou Karaki has won the Abdul Hameed Shoman Award for Arab Researchers in its 42nd session, in the field of Basic Sciences for his research on natural disasters (Earthquakes).

The Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation announced the names of the winners of its award for Arab researchers on August 26th, with 12 researchers from six Arab countries winning in 11 different topics.

All applications were reviewed by a panel of judges and specialized scientists from 13 Arab countries, following specific and rigorous criteria. A total of 542 applicants from 27 Arab and non-Arab countries competed for this year's awards.

The Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, an initiative by the Arab Bank’s to support cultural and social responsibility, launched the Arab Researchers Award in 1982 to recognize outstanding scientific contributions that increase scientific and practical knowledge, raise awareness of the culture of scientific research, and contribute to solving pressing issues locally, regionally, and globally.

The award covers fields such as "Medical and Health Sciences, Engineering and Technology Sciences, Basic Sciences, Humanitarian, Social and Educational Sciences, Water, Energy, and Food Sciences, and Economic and Administrative Sciences."

This award is the first Arab award dedicated to scientific research and celebrates Arab researchers. It aims to support and highlight scientific research across the Arab world, and to help prepare and inspire a generation of Arab researchers, experts, and specialists in various scientific fields who work with limited resources in institutions, universities, and individually.

Abou Karaki's research interests include Seismicity of the Dead Sea Transform (DST), Revision of the Instrumental, Historical Seismicity of the DST. Monitoring deterioration of the Dead Sea environment towards an Early Warning System /Subsidence, Sinkholes & related hazards. Seismicity &Tectonics. Geodesy, Gravimetry, Electrical Resistivity and Remote Sensing. (Radar Interferometry as a tool for the Dead Sea Instabilities EWS).