By Abdullah Al-Hamdan, KAUST News

Ahmed Al Saleh obtained his master's degree in material science and engineering from KAUST in 2017. He currently works for Thermo Fisher Scientific, a major company operating in the field of supporting and manufacturing all things related to scientific research. In the Kingdom, the company serves the scientific researchers at KAUST and other universities, institutes and companies.

Al Saleh holds the position of business development manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific—he is the company's representative in Saudi Arabia, with its main office located on the KAUST campus. Al Saleh is the first Saudi to work for the giant in the life sciences industry, which boasts over 70,000 employees worldwide.

Al Saleh is a graduate of the KAUST Gifted Student Program (KGSP). In 2016, he obtained his bachelor's degree in materials science and engineering from North Carolina State University (U.S.) after spending four years in Raleigh, North Carolina.

As an ambitious young man, Al Saleh decided to continue his education and begin a graduate program, joining KAUST to complete his master's degree.

"I chose the program offered by KAUST because I had complete faith in the tools of the master's program in terms of continued development and success. Also, the program's mission and objectives matched my own personal aspirations. More importantly, I was joined on my educational journey by my exceptional and innovative Saudi peers in an environment filled with excitement and enthusiasm," Al Saleh said.

Al Saleh told current and future students of KAUST to "engage in a variety of experiences at the academic and career levels and in the field to learn about your own personal abilities and develop your social skills. This phase of life is one of experimentation and discovery. Don't be afraid of failure. Failure is normal! Getting up and continuing to develop yourself is one of the secrets of success."

Al Saleh added, "Science develops fast and life moves fast. My approach is to keep pace with both so I can create links between science and reality and between the present and the future. Although I love science, I am also interested in economics, civilization and the development of societies. That's why I'm passionate about science that has real applications from which we can benefit."

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