-by abdullah alhamdan, KAUST news

​Mohammed Abdulrahman AlNamazi received his Ph.D. in environmental science and engineering from KAUST in 2017. AlNamazi is currently acting director general and director of research and consulting at the Desalination Technologies Research Institute (DTRI), which is affiliated to the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC).

"When I first considered studying for my doctorate, I did not think of KAUST as an option. I was planning to enroll in one of the foreign universities I had applied to, but I changed direction when I heard about the collaboration signed between SWCC and KAUST, as represented by DTRI and the Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC) at the University. I also took the advice of one of my colleagues, who suggested I consider enrolling in KAUST. I found KAUST to be the best option for me compared to the foreign university I first intended to join," AlNamazi said.

"KAUST excels compared to many well-established local and international universities with a long history," he continued. "KAUST offers everything graduate students need: an encouraging environment, the right infrastructure and a faculty of distinguished world-class professors and scholars."

AlNamazi noted that his time at KAUST was greatly enriched with knowledge, and this had a clear impact on the expansion of his research. The programs and conferences and the University's spring and winter Enrichment Programs also provided a platform to meet and connect with many international researchers.

"I joined KAUST coming from the industrial sector and with experience in applied research projects, but I needed to expand my basic research skills and my network within the global researcher community in my field. This is what the University gave me, as well as the close research collaboration between KAUST and SWCC," he said.

AlNamazi added that future research in desalination in the Kingdom is moving towards replacing current technologies that consume high amounts of energy with other more environmentally sustainable options that consume less energy, such as hybrid and renewable energy technologies.

AlNamazi also noted that he believes people face challenges in their academic or professional futures, but it is these challenges that make essential differences in people's lives, making them stronger and more determined to succeed.

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