Professor of Water Resources at the regional Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Bahrain. He serves as the coordinator of the Water Resources Management Graduate Program and the coordinator of the UN Water Learning Center for the Arab Region hosted by the AGU, and serves as a member of the Permanent Advisory Committee of the Water Resources Council in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He obtained his PhD from Colorado State University in 1990 in the field of groundwater systems mathematical modeling. He teaches graduate courses in Hydrogeology and Water Resources Development, Management and Planning in Arid Regions; has published more than 100 research papers in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, conferences, and seminars;, and supervised more than 45 MSc and PhD theses

Prof. Mohamed Ouessar has a doctorate in Applied Biological Sciences (Land management) from the University of Ghent in Belgium. He is currently a senior researcher at the Arid Zone Research Institute (Tunisia).

He has contributed actively to the realization of numerous joint research projects funded by national and international agencies. His research programs focused mainly on water harvesting, GIS based hydrological modeling and decision support systems, impact assessment, watershed management, climate change impacts and adaptation, combating desertification and drylands management.

He contributed also to the training and capacity building through supervision of trainees and students of all levels from national and international centers and organizations and universities

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Dr. Naser Edin Obeid is the Director General of The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands "ACSAD" from 2020 to date. He holds a PhD in agricultural and environmental economics. He held many positions, such as

Assistant Director General of the ACSAD  2014-2020.

Director of Administrative and Financial department at ACSAD, 1996-2020.

Director of the Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in the Syrian Arab Republic 1993-1995.

During his work at ACSAD, he participated in:

Preparing the ten-year strategies of ACSAD, (1998-2008) (2010-2020).

Preparing the annual plans of ACSAD from 1996 to date.

Preparing the Arab strategy for agricultural development for the years 2009-2025, which was approved by the Arab Summit in its 20th session.

Preparing the financial and accounting system for joint Arab action organizations 2000 (League of Arab States). Member of many scientific and technical committees and participated and lectured in tens of regional and international conferences.

He has many scientific publications in the fields of environmental economics and combating desertification. Chief Editor of the Arab Journal of Arid Environments, published by ACSAD.

David Mulla has been the Larson Chair and Professor for Soil & Water Resources in the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota since 1995.  

He received a Ph.D. degree in Agronomy from Purdue University with emphasis in soil physics.

He was a Professor in the Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences from 1983-1995 at Washington State Univ.

Dr. Mulla’s research emphasizes precision agriculture, land management and water quality modeling, ecosystem services, and international agricultural development.

Dr. Mulla is a Fellow in the Soil Science Society of America, and the Agronomy Society of America.

H.E Dr. Abdulaziz Almalik ,Deputy minister for research and innovation for the Ministry for Environment Water and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia

Abdulaziz Almalik is the deputy minister for research and innovation at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia. Prior to joining MEWA, he served as vice-president for scientific research support, vice-president for innovation and technology commercialisation, director of the Life Sciences and Environmental Research Institute, vice-chair of the Scientific Council, and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (2015-23). He was also a senior adviser to the governor and a founding member of the founding team of the Research, Development and Innovation Authority. He has extensive experience in developing and managing national-scale RDI initiatives backed by knowledge of intellectual property generation, acquisition, management and strong academic credentials.

Since 2017, working as Regional Officer for Plant Protection and Production (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the Near East and North Africa Region), he is currently leading the plant protection activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization in the Near East and North Africa.

·       Responsible for guiding FAO's response to regional and national priorities for food security, Pest and Pesticide management, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities in NENA region.

·       Lead the regional and national dialogue with high level authority and planning for the need and implementation of NENA counties for sustainable management and development in food safety and security focusing on plant health and plant production.

·       Lead seed management and genetic resource conservation, as well as, the regional strategy to control Transboundary Plant Pests and Diseases. At the same time, he works for the implementation process of innovative monitoring, early warning, forecasting, rapid response for plant pest and disease.

·       Plan and lead the implementation process of national and regional communication and capacity development to promote sustainable and environmentally sound management and control techniques.

Mr. Yaseen worked for 18 years as a professor of plant pathology at CIHEAM: International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies, Bari Italy, and he obtained a professor's degree at the National Research Institute in Rome - Italy. (Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology). Professor Yaseen has supervised more than 14 doctoral degree and more than 52 master's degrees in disease and pest control science. Professor Yaseen has published more than 124 scientific papers, including 50 papers published in internationally refereed journals, 70 research papers in conference publications, and 6 scientific books.

Aly Abousabaa is CGIAR’s Regional Director, Central and West Asia and North Africa, as well as Director-General of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).
He is a strategic leader in sustainable development, climate change advocacy, and agriculture research in the global dry regions.
Prior to joining CGIAR to head ICARDA, Aly was Vice President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). He led the preparation and execution of the bank’s key strategies in agriculture, water, natural resources management, climate change, infrastructure, women, youth, and governance. Through mobilizing and managing a portfolio of USD 11 billion, his work made a transformational impact on the lives of millions of people across Africa. Aly also helped coordinate climate change negotiations in Africa and acted as Gender Champion. He serves on several international boards such as the board of governors at the Arab Water Council and the Board of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation.

Ms. Yüksel Tüzel graduated from Ege University in 1981 with an MSc degree and received her PhD in in 1989. Between 1983 and 1984 she was employed by the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry and thereafter became Research Assistant at the Faculty of Agriculture of Ege University. She became Associate Professor in 1992. Since 1998 she has been working at the Horticulture Department of the Agricultural Faculty of Ege University as a Full Professor. Prof. Tüzel was a Visiting Scientist at Horticultural Research International in Littlehampton, United Kingdom, April-September 1988, and at Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands, January-June 2012.

Her expertise is in development of vegetable production technologies in greenhouses. She has worked on soilless culture systems, irrigation and fertilization management, abiotic stress response and grafting. In 2000 she started to work on organic greenhouse vegetable production.

Prof. Tüzel has lectured on protected cultivation to undergraduate and postgraduate students. She has supervised Masters and PhD students and conducted international and national projects. She has authored more than 300 scientific articles in SCI journals, national refereed journals, international and national symposia, books and chapters. Prof. Tüzel was the member of FAO Regional Working groups on Protected Cultivation. She served as the ISHS President between 2018 and 2022.

Professor at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). He received a Bachelor’s degree from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, a Master’s degree from King Saud University in 2007, and a Ph.D. in 2013 from Swansea University, UK, in the field of water treatment.

Currently, He leads the Sustainability and Environment Sector at KACST as Vice President of the Sustainability and Environment Sector. Dr. Alkhudhiri held several administrative positions as the manager of the National Center for Nanotechnology, manager of the National Center for Desalination and Water Treatment, and manager of the National Center for Chemical Technologies. Participated as a member of the local expert team in preparing a report on future technologies for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia issued by KACST in 2021. Dr. Alkhudhiri has also carried out many research projects in the field of desalination and water treatment, and he was a member of several water treatment committees.

Maha M. Khayyat is a research professor of physics of semiconductors at the Energy and Industry Sector, King Abdulaziz Cityfor science and Technology (KACST). She received her PhD from Cavendish laboratory, University of Cambridge. She worked at several technically prestigious labs, including Nanoscience Center, Cambridge, T. J.Watson Research Center of IBM, and Center of Clean Water and Energy, Mechanical Engineering Department, MIT.

Dr. Felwa Abdullah Thagfan holds a Ph.D. in parasitology. Her academic journey began with a BSc.in Zoology from Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, followed by a Master of Science in Zoology from King Saud university and subsequent doctoral studies. Her teaching experience spans various levels, including a health education instructor at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, teaching assistant positions at both Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman and King Saud universities, then become an Assistant Professor at biology department at princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman university and later an Associate Professor of Parasitology. Her leadership roles at princess Nourah bint Abdulrhman university include serving as the Former Head of research and innovation unit, Former Head of the Scientific Journals Unit, and Former Managing Editor of Biodiversity Research Journal. Currently, she serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Science at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University.

Dr. Thagfan is a member of the Australian Society for Parasitology. Her published works concentrate on the utilization of natural plants in treating parasitic diseases, notably focusing on the indigenous flora of Saudi Arabia.

He holds a doctorate in analytical chemistry and materials chemistry from Oklahoma State University, USA, in 2006. He works in the field of environmental research and the development of separation technologies. He also works on developing materials with high surface areas for multiple uses in environmental, energy and water research.

The founding supervisor of the Advanced Materials Research Chair and head of the Chromatography Research Group, he supervised 12 master’s students, and 8 doctoral students, and with the participation of his colleagues and students, he published more than 200 research papers published in prestigious international scientific journals, 18 patents, and translated a book specialized in chromatography.

A founding member of the Gulf Chemists Union, he is also a member of the Arab Chemists Union and the Asian Chemists Union.

He received many local, regional and international awards and was ranked among the most cited scientists for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022.

He currently works as Dean, College of Science at KSU and Chairman of Saudi Chemical Society.

 EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: 

• PhD in International Agricultural Development from Tokyo University of Agriculture. Japan. 
• Master of Science Diploma in Plant Breeding from the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies- Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Saragossa (CIHEAM-IAMZ). Spain. 
• Diploma of Specialized Post-Graduate Studies in Plant Breeding from International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies- Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Saragossa. (CIHEAM-IAMZ). Spain. 
• Agricultural Engineer Diploma from Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (IAV Hassan II). Rabat. Morocco 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 

• Chief of Farming at Al Madinah Heritage Company. (2023-Now)
• Agricultural Expert at the National Center for Palms & Dates. Riyadh. (2022-2023) 
• R&D and Projects Manager at Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group). Saudi Arabia and Quality Manager at ASYLA Gum Co Ltd. Senegal (Feb 2020-2022). 
• R&D, Organic project and Quality Manager at Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Saudi Arabia (June 2019-Feb 2020) and Quality Manager at ASYLA Gum Co Ltd. Senegal. Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group) (Feb 2020-Now) • R&D Manager. Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group). Saudi Arabia (2010- June 2019) 
• Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Sciences and Techniques (FST)-University of Kadi Ayyad. Beni Mellal. Morocco (2002-2010) 
• Research scientist at the Biotechnology Unit, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, INRA (National Institute of Agronomic Research). Morocco. Rabat (2008-2010) 
• Manager of the Department of Technical Education, Vocational Training, Research and Development at the Regional Directorate of Agriculture in Tadla. Morocco (2008-2010) 
• Manager of the Regional Department of Certification of Seed and Nurseries. Beni Mellal. Morocco (2000-2008) 
• Controller of seeds and nurseries at the Regional Department of Certification of Seed and Nurseries. Beni Mellal. Morocco (1997-2000) 
• Farm Manager of Haddawi Farms. Larache. Morocco. (1995-1997) 

Woody possesses over 16 years of experience in designing and implementing collaborations in both private and public sector in the areas of outcome-driven transformation, strategic advisory, delivery unit design and activation.

His experience covers organizations in various countries in SE Asia, Middle East, and Africa, and he has previously advised Ministers on National Level initiatives in these countries. 

In NEOM Food, Woody is responsible for building and maintaining synergistic strategic initiatives with key public sector partners, stakeholders, and other entities within the food ecosystem in NEOM and KSA, particularly in the areas of regulations, innovation, research and talent pipeline development."

PhD from Auburn University, Alabama, 2016.

He held a number of administrative positions at King Faisal University and represented the university in the National Dialogue Workshop for Sustainable Food Systems in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as in a workshop for the G20 meeting entitled: Water, Energy and Food. In addition to a number of international conferences, he also worked in a number of committees within the university and at the Kingdom level, and is Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the International Conference on Food Security and Environmental Sustainability. He currently works as an associate professor at King Faisal University and holds the position of Dean of the College of Agricultural and Food Sciences since 2019.

Salim Al-Babili received his PhD from the University Freiburg, Germany. After his PhD, he obtained a Rockefeller Post-Doc fellowship to work on developing “Golden Rice” in the lab of Peter Beyer and in collaboration with Ingo Potrykus. In 2007, he received his Habilitation in Cell Biology at the University of Freiburg and is currently Professor for Plant Scince and Bioengineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. The general objective of his research group, the BioActives lab, is to improve the performance and nutritional value of crops by genetic engineering or through application of growth regulators. His group combines enzymology-based, metabolomics and genetic approaches to elucidate metabolic networks and identify new signaling molecules related to abiotic/biotic stress and plant development, with focus on carotenoid and apocarotenoids. Salim Al-Babili has made essential contributions to engineering crops with enhanced pro-vitamin A content and to elucidating carotenoid/apocarotenoid metabolism in plants and microorganisms. His work on retinal biosynthesis in cyanobcateria led to the first structure elucidation of a carotenoid cleavage oxygenase. Through the discovery of carlactone, his research deciphered the core-pathway in the biosynthesis of the carotenoid-derived plant hormone strigolactone. In the last years, he has been focusing on the identification and biology of novel apocarotenoid growth regulators, which revealed the regulatory metabolite anchorene, and the hormone-candidate zaxinone and an epoxidase-independent route for abscisic acid biosynthesis. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and KAUST, he is currently heading an international consortium to combat the root parasitic plant Striga hermonthica, a major threat to global food security, in sub-Saharan Africa, by using hormone-based approaches based on his basic research. He has several patents and more than 150 peer reviewed papers.

Dr. Zeyad alZeyadi is a highly accomplished biotechnologist and esteemed faculty member at the College of Applied Medical Sciences. With a remarkable career dedicated to research and innovation, he currently holds the distinguished position of General Manager of the General Department of Research and Knowledge at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

Beyond his research achievements, Dr. alZeyadi's impact extends to his advisory role at the Ministry of Health's biosafety committee. As a trusted expert, he provides invaluable guidance on matters pertaining to the safe and ethical application of biotechnology. His unwavering commitment to promoting biosafety measures ensures the responsible utilization of emerging technologies, safeguarding both human welfare and the environment.

Jouke Campen became an engineer in Applied Physics at the Technical University of Delft, specialized in heat and mass transfer. He started working at Wageningen UR in 1997.

His main field of research is energy and climate control in protected horticulture.

Over the years he has become an expert in computational fluid dynamics calculations for greenhouses. He finished his PhD on dehumidification of greenhouses October 2009.

Currently he is the coordinator of the energy program of the ministry of Agriculture in The Netherlands involving annually 7 million EURO of projects on reducing energy use in the Dutch protected horticultural sector.

Aside of this task he is international project manager for the last 10 years working on numerous projects all around the world. 

Prof. Salah El-Hendawy obtained his PhD from the Department of Plant Sciences at the Technical University of Munich, Germany in 2004. He has held various faculty positions in the Agronomy Department at the Faculty of Agriculture at Suez Canal University from Demonstrator to Professor. He was awarded a postdoctoral scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in 2007 and the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) in 2009. Seconded to work as a professor in the Department of Plant Production at the College of Food and Agricultural Sciences - King Saud University in 2012 until now. He has published over 100 research articles in international scientific journals indexed in Q1 and Q2. He has been recognized among the top 2% of scientists worldwide for 2021 and 2022. His research focuses on enhancing irrigation water management and introducing innovative approaches to maximize irrigation water use for field crops in arid and semiarid conditions. Recent efforts have focused on non-destructive methods to accurately assess important traits of drought- and salt-affected genotypes under field conditions (Precision Phenotyping).

Independent consultant & former director of, the Water, Land, and Ecosystems Program, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Formerly, a distinguished professor of agricultural water management at Tottori University in Japan. Since 1991, worked for ICARDA as director, scientist, and research manager.  Earlier, worked for the University of Jordan, as an assistant prof. in irrigation and drainage engineering. Received BSc. degree in agriculture and MSc and Ph.D. in irrigation engineering from Utah State University, Utah, USA. Has over 40 years of experience and leadership in international research and development, capacity building, and agricultural water management. Worked in over 80 countries on implementing projects, training, and mobilizing funds for agricultural water management projects in developing countries. Author of 86 refereed journal publications, 13 books, 34 book chapters, and over 200 proceedings, reports, and awareness publications in the areas of water use efficiency, supplemental irrigation, water harvesting, water productivity, deficit irrigation, salinity, and the management of scarce water resources. Reviewer and member of editorial boards of several refereed journals.

Matthew McCabe is a Professor of Remote Sensing and Water Security and Director of the Climate and Liveability Initiative at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Matthew received his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Newcastle in Australia. Before coming to KAUST in 2012, he held research positions at Princeton University, Los Alamos National Laboratory and was an Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales. His research explores multi-disciplinary issues around water and food security, climate change impacts, precision agriculture, and water resources monitoring and modelling, focusing on the use of novel technologies for enhanced Earth observation and data-model integration. Prof McCabe has published more than 250 research papers and been recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher every year since 2019. He is the Section Chief Editor of Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and an Associate Editor of Remote Sensing. Prof McCabe was the recipient of the 2022 Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water. He is also a co-founder of SarSatX, a Saudi-based satellite and data-analytics company, and was responsible for the launch of Saudi Arabia’s first hyperspectral satellite in 2023. He is the coordinating editor of the recently published “Climate Futures: Saudi Arabia in a 3 degrees warmer world” report.

Dr. Pierre Broun is Director of Climate-Resilient Agriculture at NEOM, overseeing the development of sustainable, innovative and profitable farming systems to support food self-sufficiency at NEOM and food security for the country. 

Before joining NEOM, Dr. Broun held executive positions in the food industry to ensure sustainable agricultural supply, leading plant science and technology in large agri-food companies, including over 10 years as head of plant science at Nestlé. 

Dr. Broun started his career in biotechnology, both in industry and academia. 

He holds a PhD in plant breeding and biometry from Cornell University.

Professor Yakov Kuzyakov worked in various Soil and Environmental Science departments of universities and research institutes worldwide: Germany, USA, UK, Russia, and China. His expertise covers soil ecology, biogeochemistry, rhizosphere processes, C and N cycling, soil degradation, land use and agroecology. Methodical expertise is based on application of stable and radioactive isotopes at natural abundance and labeling. Yakov led research projects in many countries: Germany, China, Korea, Tanzania, Indonesia, Russia, and Chile. Together with his group, Yakov focuses on soil biogeochemistry with long-term and deep expertise for C and N cycles, priming effects, and nutrient mobilization. His special interests are soil-plant-microbial interactions in hotspots. His groundbreaking works are in the fields of rhizodeposition, low molecular weight organic substances, priming effects, visualization of enzyme activities, localization of root exudation. These processes are studied depending on land use and soil degradation, as well as such global change components as warming, drought, elevated CO₂. Yakov group made many innovative studies to pedogenic carbonates, biochar stability, competition of roots and microorganisms for nutrients, microbial metabolism in soil, effects of plant photosynthesis on CO₂ efflux from soil. The applied studies are focused on C sequestration, soil fertility improvements, and reforestation effects. To understand the process mechanisms, Yakov group use a broad range of stable (¹³C, ¹⁵N) and radioactive (¹⁴C, ³²P, ³³P, ¹³⁷Cs) isotopes applications including pioneering position specific labeling and combine these approaches with biomarkers (PLFA, amino sugars, neutral sugars) as well as microbial activity parameters (enzyme and respiratory activities, microbial growth). Yakov is an active member of several editorial boards, for top-ranked journals including Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Land Degradation and Development, Biogeosciences, Rhizosphere, Scientific Reports etc. He was awarded in 2015 the John Waid Award for Best Review Paper in Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 2016 the EGU Outstanding Editor Award etc. Yakov is Visiting Professor and has very close and intensive collaboration with various top universities and research institutes in China.       

Prof. Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Wabel, the driving force behind SBRG, is a well-known Environmental and Soil Scientist with significant contributions to the field of biochar research. Prof. Al-Wabel is an enthusiastic and visionary scientist leading various research projects to synthesize, characterize, and apply biochar to solve the critical issues of soil, environment, and climate. Due to his passion, innovation, and dedication, Prof. Al-Wabel has proved himself a game-changer for biochar research in Saudi Arabia and demonstrated impactful insights into environmental sustainability and carbon management research.

Prof. Mohammad I Al-Wabel works in the Department of Soil Sciences, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (KSU). His prominent research areas are the production of biochar-based low-cost adsorbents for environmental management, monitoring, modelling, soil and environment pollution assessment and remediation, carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation, and revitalization of abandoned soil.

Prof. Mohammad Al-Wabel received his Master's in Soil Sciences from KSU in 1995 and Ph.D. in Soil Chemistry from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA in 2001. He has served as the Chairman of the Department of Soil Sciences at KSU from 2008 to 2012 and from 2017 to 2018. He has also served as the Dean of the Deanship of Scientific Research at KSU from 2018-2022. He has supervised several Master's and Ph.D. theses research. Professor Al-Wabel has published more than 130+ research articles in peer-reviewed national and international journals and more than 8+ book chapters in various books. He has an H-index of 47+ with more than 8200+ citations. He has completed more than 20 research projects as P. I and Co-P.I. in various interdisciplinary subjects. Due to his research contributions, he has been awarded the Research Achievement Award, High-Impact Publication Award, and various other awards. 

Galvanized by the immense importance of biochar, Prof. Al-Wabel founded the SBRG in 2011. Under his leadership, the SBRG hasflourished and became the symbol of innovation in biochar research. Biochar can increase crop productivity by up to 25% by improving nutrient retention of soil by up to 50%, subsequently reducing fertilizer demands. Biochar can sequester substantial amounts of carbon in soil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%. Due to the significant importance of biochar for agriculture, climate, and the environment, the SBRG, under the leadership of Prof. Al-Wabel, is inspiring researchers, environmentalists, industrialists, and policymakers to adopt biochar technology to improve ecosystem health and mitigate climate change for future generations.

Ismail Cakmak earned his PhD at the University Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany, and full Professor at the Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey. Published over 240-peer-reviewed articles, named among the “highly cited researchers” by Clarivate Analytics (Thomson Reuters) and ranked   in the top 0.05 % of most influential scientists in all scientific disciplines in 2022 by Stanford University, based on Elsevier’s Scopus Database.

He has received IFA “International Crop Nutrition Award in 2005, Australian Crawford Fund “Derek Tribe Medal” in 2007, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation-Georg Forster Research Award in 2014, International Plant Nutrition Institute-IPNI Science Prize in 2016 and the World Academy of Sciences-Agricultural Science Prize in 2016.  He is an elected member of “The Academia Europaea” and “The Science Academy” of Turkey.

Joined International Centre for Bio-Saline Agriculture (ICBA), Dubai as Program Leader/section head of the Crop Diversity and Genetics group on 15th Nov 2018 after long stint in rice crop for abiotic stresses. Currently leading the specialized group working on use of suitable cropping solutions for very harsh marginal environments (salty water and soil, drought and high temperature) which is going to be much worsened in future due to climate change. Our major focus in middle east and north Africa (MENA), Central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), besides recent outreach to S and SE Asia as well.

Alanoud Alfagham is an assistant professor in Plant ecology and physiology at King Saud University (KSU). Her research focuses on how the global water shortage affects plant diversity, molecular biology, and physiology. She has published papers in high-impact scientific journals and conferences, and her contribution draws attention to the importance of leaf age consideration in plant drought resistance. She has been learning bioinformatics using advanced computer languages and programs. She aims to contribute to documenting Saudi wheat local cultivars as a highly genetic resource, which could pave the way for improving the physiological response to drought stress in wheat cultivars and informing the breeding programs.

Ali Al Lawati is a scientist in the field of Plant Genetic Resources and crop improvement. Currently, Al Lawati is Assistant Professor in Plant Genetics and Biotechnology in the University of Nizwa. Current, research activity is on the medicinal plants’ conservation and characterization. In addition, Al Lawati is managing the Seed genebank a collaborative project between Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Center and the University of Nizwa.

Al Lawati had BSc. (1990) and MSc. (1998) in Plant Sciences and Environment Sciences, respectively, from Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. he had a Ph.D. (2006) in Agronomy (Plant Breeding and Genetics) and minor in Experimental Statistics from New Mexico State University, U.S.A.

Dr. Ibrahim M. El-Ashmawy, a distinguished pharmacologist, currently holds the position of Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt. Since September 15, 2012, he has been affiliated with the College of Agricultural and Veterinary Medicine at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. He earned a B.V. Med. Sci. with honors in May 1984, followed by an MS in Pharmacology in 1988 and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology in 1991. Throughout his career, Dr. El-Ashmawy has held various positions, starting as a Demonstrator (1984-1988) in the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University. He progressed to become an Assistant Lecturer (1988-1991), Lecturer (1991-1995), Assistant Professor (1995-2000), and eventually a professor (2000- …). His teaching experiences include instructing undergraduate students in Pharmacology and Drug Toxicology. Additionally, he has taught advanced courses in Pharmacology and Toxicology to graduate students, guiding their research projects, and has supervised numerous Master Thesis and Ph.D. Dissertations (23 Master Theses and Ph.D. (10)). Dr. El-Ashmawy's academic and research experiences also extend abroad, where he served as a Visiting Professor at the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany, in 2000. Dr. El-Ashmawy has actively contributed to various scientific projects, partnering in endeavors such as antiviral activity of a newly formulated herbal mixture, therapeutic efficacy of Copper (I) nicotinate, development of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug from blue green algae, and more. Throughout his career, Dr. El-Ashmawy has received numerous awards, honors, and grants, including the State Prize for Scientific Encouragement in Agricultural Sciences (2000), Alexandria University Prize for Scientific Encouragement (2000), Alexandria University Prize for Scientific Excellence (2009), and the State Prize for Scientific Excellence (2010), among others. Dr. El-Ashmawy's contributions extend to conferences, where he has actively participated in both national and international events related to pharmacology and toxicology. His research interests cover a wide scope, including herbal medicine, heavy metals, drug safety assessment, teratology, male fertility, GC/MS analysis, pharmacodynamics, neuromuscular junction, pharmacogenetics, anti-inflammatory and analgesic screenings, and neuropharmacology. With a prolific academic career, Dr. Ibrahim M. El-Ashmawy continues to make significant contributions to the field of pharmacology and veterinary medicine.

Currently he is an Associate professor of Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology at King Saud University, College of Food and Agriculture Science, Plant Production Department.  He got his Engineer in Horticulture (1991) from ESH Chott-Mariem (TUNISIA), Master of Sciences (1993) in Plant Tissue culture and Genetic Engineering from ENSH Versailles (FRANCE), Doctor's degree (Ph.D.) (1998) in plant Biotechnology & cellular and molecular biology from INA-PG Paris Sud University, France.  He worked at INRA-Versailles (France) as Ph.D. Student, at ICGEB-New Delhi for two years as Post-Doc, at Center of Biotechnology of Sfax (Tunisia) for 10 years and from September 2010 to present he works at King Saud University. His Research Interest are Plant Molecular Biology and physiology (Plant Biotechnology, Biopharming, Abiotic stress tolerance), Plant Tissue culture genetic engineering, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), Genomics and Bioinformatics of extremophile plants as a sink for stress tolerant related genes, and Hydroponics/Aeroponics growing systems and Plant Growth-Promoting Microorganisms for Agriculture and Ecological Sustainability.

Hirt studied biochemistry at the Univ. of Cape Town and Vienna where he received his PhD in 1987. After post-doctoral fellowships at the Univ. of Oxford and Wageningen, he became Professor of Genetics at the Univ. of Vienna. In 2007, he was nominated Director of the INRAe Plant Genomics Institute in Paris and of the Center for Desert Agriculture at KAUST in 2014. Hirt has a long standing record on how plants can survive under abiotic or biotic stress conditions (more than 300 publications, h-index 95). His current research is focused on how plants can survive under abiotic or biotic stress conditions by identifying and using beneficial microbes of desert plants

He holds a Ph.D. in two distinct fields—firstly, in Biochemistry from the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, exploring the impact of lead exposure on oxidative stress, and subsequently, in Advanced Biotechnology and Biodiversity from the University of Silesia in Katowice, focusing on the root system development of Hordeum vulgare L. He received his master’s degree in biotechnology and biology and a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Silesia in Katowice. Professionally, he has held roles ranging from Head of Content and Co-Owner at Content Farmers Sp. z o.o. to serving as an Associate Editor at BioAgWorld Digest and a Sales Specialist at Przedsiębiorstwo ARKOP Sp. z o.o. He has experience in internships at renowned institutions globally, and has actively contributed to nine international research grants, authored a patent application, and published several articles in scientific journals and conference materials.

Northern Border University (Arar). Prof. Abdulhakim Bawadekji obtained his degree in Agricultural Sciences (1989-1993) from Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomiques (Montpellier - France). He is an ex-faculty member of, the Department of Horticulture, and ex-director of the edible mushroom research laboratory, the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Aleppo. (Aleppo, Syria). He is a professor at Northern Border University, College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences. He has published over 75 research articles in international scientific. He is a member of the editorial board of many international journals. His research focuses on studying native flora and native fungi of Northern Border Region (Arar - Saudi Arabia). Competing desertification and reforestation of arid zones via improving seedling quality in nurseries using endomycorrhizal inoculation of roots.

Ce Yang is an Associate Professor working on remote sensing for precision agriculture and high-throughput phenotyping at the University of Minnesota, USA. She leads the Agricultural Robotics Lab in the department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering to work on nutrient management, yield prediction and disease detection of staple food crops. The Ag Robotics Lab’s mission is to apply advanced ideas of robotics, remote sensing, data mining and information technology into precision agriculture. The core techniques they use include multispectral/hyperspectral imaging, spectroscopy, machine learning, geographic information system (GIS), digital mapping, biochemical sensing, etc. The tools available for carrying out her research are unmanned aerial vehicle, unmanned ground vehicle, video camera, multispectral camera, hyperspectral camera, DGPS, and various electrical, optical and chemical sensors. Ce Yang obtained her PhD degree in Agricultural Engineering and MS degree in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Florida.

Agricultural Engineer, PhD in Agricultural Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is a Professor at the University of São Paulo (USP), in the Department of Biosystems Engineering, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), in Piracicaba, São Paulo, since 1989, where he coordinates the Precision Agriculture Laboratory. He works at the interface between the area of Agricultural Machinery and Precision Agriculture, especially with crop and soil sensors, spatial variability, yield mapping and site specific application of inputs. He coordinated the Brazilian Congress of Precision Agriculture from its creation in 2004 until 2018

Francelino Rodrigues has been working in precision agriculture and remote sensing since 2004, including in his MSc, PhD and Postdoctoral studies. During his time, he has gained precision agriculture and remote sensing experience in contrasting cropping systems (coffee, sugarcane, cereals) in various countries (Brazil, Australia and Mexico) and at different spatio-temporal scales - from plot experiments towards small and commercial farming systems to regional scale. Before joining Lincoln Agritech in July 2021, he worked for around nine years at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). At CIMMYT he was involved in projects related to maize and wheat high throughput field phenotyping, and precision agriculture and remote sensing techniques applied to crop management at different spatial scales – executing field campaigns in countries in East Africa and South Asia and Mexico

Currently, he is Associate Professor (tenure track), Department of Plant Resources and Environment, Jeju National University, since2022. As well as He is a Member of European Cooperation in Science and Technology since 2022 and he is the CEO of Pytomix Corporation since 2021. He is Assistant Professor (tenure track), Department of Plant Resources and Environment, Jeju National University, 2018-2022. He worked on Plant Breeding and Genetics using conventional and modern methods with phenomics. He did Postdoctoral Research Associate, Plant Sciences Institute, Iowa State University, 2014-2016 with the Advisor: Professor Patrick Schnable. Develop field-based high throughput phenotyping system for corn using time lapse as a Project Lead. He Established multidisciplinary collaborations with several ISU departments and private company.

Prof. Dr. Khalid A. Al-Gaadi: Received a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from Colorado State University, USA, in 1998.  Currently working as a Full Professor in the Department of Agricultural Engineering in King Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).  His research interests include Agricultural Power and Machinery, with focus on Precision Agriculture (PA).  Established the Precision Agriculture Research Chair (PARC) in 2009 and currently working as the Chair Director.  He is the representative of KSA in the International Society for Precision Agriculture and is a member of many international and local scientific societies.  He has published more than 75 scientific papers in refereed scientific journals and participated in more than 25 international scientific conferences related to his research interests. Prof. Al-Gaadi is a co-researcher for a number of current and previous research funded projects.  He supervised a number of graduate students in the field of PA and agricultural machinery. 

Scientist (Seed and rangeland ecology), International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), ICARDA-UAE country manager and Arabian Peninsula Regional Program Coordinator. Seed technologist and Rangeland Ecologist with a PhD degree from the Wageningen University, the Netherlands.  35 years of experience working on seed science and technology and rangeland monitoring, restoration, and management, and community-based rehabilitation. Currently the Manager of the ICARDA United Arab Emirates Office and the Arabian Peninsula Regional Program. With a track record in leadership and program management at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), he currently works as the ICARDA UAE Office Manager and Coordinator of the ICARDA Arabian Peninsula Regional Program since 2020. Since 2022, he also led the ICARDA component of the One CGIAR Initiative on Nature Positive Solutions in Agriculture. From 2016 to 2021, he actively participated in implementing the seed system development and diversification component of the CRP-Wheat and coordinated the Iran-ICARDA food security project. Earlier, he led the ICARDA International Nurseries Program from 2007 to 2016 and led the seed component of the Water Productivity Improvement of Cereals and Food Legumes Challenge Program in the Atbara Basin of Eritrea from 2008 to 2010.

Dr. Essam holds a Bachelor degree in Chemistry from King Saud University, a Master degree in Physical Chemistry from Manchester University in UK and a PhD degree in Thermo-Chemistry from Leeds University in UK.

Dr. Essam is a Research Fellow at SABIC Agri Nutrients Company.  He has been holding the position of Senior Manager for Agri Nutrients Technology & Innovation (T&I) Specialty department since 2016. Prior to this, he has been holding many management positions within SABIC T&I.

Dr Zainab Oyetunde-Usman is a Research Social Scientist with background in agricultural and behavioural economics. She completed her Ph.D. at the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich and her research interestingly focused on the Impact and behavioural analysis of the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among farm households in developing countries using various adoption probabilities, impact, and behavioural analysis techniques. She currently works at the Net-Zero and Resilient Farming Department at Rothamsted Research, UK, contributing to the social advancement of improved techniques for tackling climate issues. Her research aims are tailored to providing evidence-based policy intervention that increases resilience and minimises the farming population's vulnerability

Ashok Kumar Are obtained his Ph D from Division of Genetics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and completed certification courses in Data-driven decisions, Product Management and Leading the Organization from the Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Queensland. Currently he is working as Director, a.i. Regional Program –Asia, Cluster Leader – Seed systems, and Product Placement Lead -Asia at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semiarid Tropics (ICRISAT), India. He has >23 years of research experience in genetics, plant breeding for developing improved breeding processes and market-preferred cultivars in various crops, particularly the sorghum and castor that resulted in release of more than 100 cultivars in 15 countries. Deploying data-driven decisions in breeding is one of the core areas of his work. Since 2006, his major focus is on modernizing the breeding programs, developing innovative approaches that enhance rate of genetic gain in crops for various end uses and in developing innovative seed systems for rapid replacement of farmers’ varieties. He is currently providing vision and operational plans for the Regional Program -Asia that works with three global research programs at ICRISAT in co-designing and co-creation of new knowledge, products and technologies and their dissemination. He led the projects on biofortifying sorghum with higher grain Zn and Fe and developing sorghums amenable for first (1G) and second generation (2G) bioenergy production besides forage sorghum. He served as an International Consultant to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the UN in Sudan, Namibia, and Austria. He has guided 10 Ph D students and published 98 journal articles, 45 book chapters, 50 conference papers and co-authored 8 books.

Dato’ Dr Mohamad Zabawi expertise includes soil science (soil conservation), agroecological zonation, climate change, green technology, and water stress physiology. Dato’ Dr Mohamad Zabawi obtained his PhD in Water Stress Physiology and MSc in Tropical Agriculture from The Reading Unversity in 2006 and 1993, and his BSc in Agriculture Science (Major in Soil Physic and Conservation) from Universiti Putra Malaysia in 1988. He is the Chairman of the vulnerability and adaptation of agriculture to climate change for the Third National Communication. He is also a member for Academy of Sciences Malaysia Water and Climate Change Task Force, committee member for Research and Innovation in Green Technology and Climate Change, committee member for Adaptation in Green Technology and Climate Change.

Josef Soukup is a Professor and Head of the Department of Agroecology and Crop Production at the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic. He currently serves as the Dean of that Faculty. He has established and lead a local weed research group with extensive collaborations with leading domestic and international research institutions, industry, and farmer´s associations. His recent research areas are the herbicide resistance, herbicide tolerant crops and co-existence of GM and non-GM cropping systems. His group is steadily involved in many research projects financially supported by different grant agencies and industry. Josef Soukup serves as President of the European Weed Research Society in 2022-2023 and maintains networking with other weed science and crop protection societies. 

Dr. Johan A. Stenberg is a Professor in Integrated Plant Protection and Director of the SLU Center for Biological Control.

Dr. Mudasir Gani is working as Assistant Professor at Division of Entomology, Faculty of Horticulture, SKUAST-K, Shalimar, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India. He had completed Ph.D. Entomology from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir India and Post-Doc from Institute for Biological Control, Julius Kuhn Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Germany. He has a very good experience on mass rearing techniques of insect parasitoids and predators - their field evaluation and impact assessment; host-pathogen interactions and molecular aspects of entomology. He has guided 07 Masters student’s and co-guided 3 doctoral students in the discipline of Agricultural Entomology. He has published more than 25 research papers in high impact factor journals in the discipline of Entomology in general and insect pathology in particular.

Hessel van der Heide is a Technical Researcher Entomology at the business unit Greenhouse Horticulture part of Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands. He specializes in biological control of pests in greenhouse crops, varying from food crops to (cut)flowers. He has worked on a wide variety of pests, including stinkbugs, aphids, thrips, whiteflies, and others. In addition to pests, he has also worked with various biological control agents, supplementary foods to create so called “standing armies” of biological control agents and predatory mites. Currently he works a lot on banker plant systems to get an early establishment of biological control agents or to support biological control agents to establish under suboptimal conditions.

Dr. Luma Al -Banna is a Professor in the Department of Plant Protection, School of Agriculture, University of Jordan since 1996. She received a B.S. in Plant Production and Plant Protection from University of Jordan in 1981 and her M.S. & Ph.D. in Plant Pathology/Nematology from University of California, Davis, in 1992 and 1996, respectively.  Formerly, Al-Banna served as the department head of Plant Protection and at present, she is the Assistant Dean for Alumni Affairs at the School of Agriculture, University of Jordan. She is currently appointed as an ambassador of University of Bonn, Germany in Jordan.  Her areas of research interests include nematode systematics, epidemiology, and management of plant diseases. Luma was a visiting Scientist at UC Davis, UC Riverside, and University of Bonn. Al-Banna has published numerous articles and manuscripts in several international journals, including Australasian Plant Pathology, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Crop Protection, Journal of Nematology, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Nematologia Mediterrenea, Phytopathologia Mediterranea, and Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. She has supervised/co-supervised 12 MSc students, 5 PhD students, and teaches courses in plant pathology/nematology at the undergraduate and graduate levels for almost 27 years at the University of Jordan.

Abdo Hassoun is the founder of Sustainable AgriFoodtech Innovation & Research (SAFIR), a non-profit research organization that works in collaboration with other notable partners to contribute to addressing food sustainability issues and making food healthier and more affordable. He completed his Ph.D. in 2016 in France and carried out his postdoctoral research work at the Norwegian Food Research Institute (Nofima). Dr. Hassoun has also experience from the University of the Littoral Opal Coast in France (ULCO). He has been among the first researchers who have explored the potential of Industry 4.0 and emerging technologies in agriculture and the food industry. He serves as an Editorial Board Member and Guest Editor of several international journals and has contributed to numerous scientific publications.

Dr. Salah bin Muhammad Abdulaziz Al-Eid is currently a Professor of Food Science and Technology at the College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University. He holds a Ph.D. in Grain Science and Technology from Kansas State University in the USA. Dr. Al-Eid's extensive contributions and publication, exceeds fifty research papers. Additionally, he holds three granted US patents. His commitment to excellence in scientific research has been recognized through the prestigious Al-Marai Scientific Creativity Award. In terms of leadership and governance, Dr. Al-Eid is an esteemed member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority since 2021. He also contributes to the agricultural sector as a member of the Board of Directors of the Agricultural Development Fund, a role he has held since 2020. Furthermore, he is a board member of the Research Excellence Center for Palm and Dates at King Faisal University since 2022. Internationally, Dr. Al-Eid has engaged in collaborative research projects with esteemed institutions. Notable among these is his collaboration with Inner Mongolia Agricultural University in China, focusing on the potential of fresh and fermented camel milk as a source of probiotics (2022 – 2024). His international collaborations also include partnerships with the University of Lorraine and the Higher Agricultural Institute in France, where he worked on the production of the antibiotic Streptomycin from dates using fermentation technology (2013 – 2018). Additionally, he collaborated with Michigan State University in the USA on projects related to biofuel production from dates (2012-2014) and X-ray irradiation of dates (2010). Dr. Salah bin Muhammad Abdulaziz Al-Eid's impactful contributions to academia, research, and international collaborations underscore his dedication to advancing the fields of Food Science and Technology.

Emeritus professor, faculty of Agriculture,  professor, Arid Lands Agricultural studies and Research Institute, Ain Shams university

He started his career after graduation from Cairo University, faculty of Agriculture working as assistant researcher in the National Research Center. After being granted the Ph.D. degree, he was appointed as lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the faculty of agriculture, Ain Shams University. His career continued ever since as associate professor, then full professor and head of Horticulture Department, then Emeritus Professor at Ain Shams University till the moment.

Dr. Dinesh Chauhan is the Vice President of Projects and Partnerships at DeHaat, a prominent agri-tech firm in India, serving more than two million farmers. With a remarkable 22-year career in the agriculture and agribusiness sector, Dr. Chauhan has held various high-level positions encompassing academics, consulting, sales, and business development. His expertise spans farm solutions, large-scale modern farming, supply chain management, business development, and structured trade finance.

Dr. Chauhan boasts an impressive educational background with a PhD in Management, an MBA in Agribusiness Management, an MSc in Food Technology, and a BSc in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.

Dr. Stella Despoudi is Senior Lecturer in Food Supply Chain Management & Logistics at the University of Western Macedonia, in Greece. Prior to this Stella has been working for Aston Business School, Coventry University and for Loughborough University’s School of Business & Economics. She holds a PhD in Food Operations and Supply Chain Management from Loughborough University’s School of Business and Economics. 

Stella’s research expertise lies in the following research areas: Circular food supply chains, supply chain resilience, industry 5.0, honey supply chain, food waste and food sustainability. Currently she works on multi-partner projects related to food supply chain resilience, climatic changes, and Industry 5.0. She also works as food supply chain consultant and she is co-owner of a honey processing company called Melizin

Adil Abdelnour is an interdisciplinary scientist and advisor; he works on issues related to water management and environmental policy, specially focused on how to mainstream sustainable agricultural development concepts and applications as related to judicious use of natural resource, sustainable food systems and development of non-conventional water resources.

Dr. Abdelnour works in Saudi Arabia as a consultant at ministry of municipalities, Qassim University and lastly as a technical advisor for the National Research and Development Center (Estidamah). He had been working for some international organizations and private sector companies. His professional interests include environmental policies for sustainable water management, policy research and institutional capacity development for transformation to sustainable management of natural resources. His current interests revolve around water – waste – energy – food nexus.

Dr. Abdelnour delivers many presentations and offer lectures in areas of environmental impacts of unsustainable agricultural practices of Saudi agri-food system, how to shift from resource sufficiency to resource efficiency.

Graduated 2008 from faculty of veterinary medicine. Work in poultry production more than 10 years as poultry consultant. Hold master’s degree in Black solider fly larvae extract. In 2016, he started his journey with breeding insects, especially black soldier fly, where he moved the production from laboratory to the commercial level, founded EGYMAG Biotechnology Company, 1st MENA Biotechnology company, developed indoor Breeding system, Vertical insect protein production Solution (using Black solider fly larvae) less land, water and Energy usage, transforming organic residue to protein and unique organic fertilizers.

Dr. Abdallah Soubhy Ali is currently an Associate professor of Microbiology at Cairo University in Egypt and a scientific team leader at Anhui University of Technology in China. He earned his Bachelor of Biotechnology at Cairo University, Egypt, in 2001, and his M.Sc. in Environmental Microbiology at the same University, in 2007 and his PhD in Microbial Biotechnology from the Technical University of Munich, Germany in 2015. In his thesis work he pioneered the biorefinery and bioconversion of lignocellulosic material to produce high-valuable products and by-products and applied this to study on different agricultural and agro-industrial wastes to get the maximum benefits form these residues with zero waste processes.

Dr Abed Alaswad is an established researcher in sustainable energy systems with a focus on waste to energy techniques. He is the Director of the Engineering for Sustainable Development Research Center at Aston University in the United Kingdom.  He has a track record of leading/ contributing to research projects as funded by (EPSRC, KTP, ETP, GCRF, RAEng) working along with partners from the UK, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. Dr Alaswad is an Editorial Board Member for the Science of the Total Environment (IF: 10.753, Citescore: 14.1) and reviews for the Prestigious Newton Fund Prize.

Dr. Kakoli Ghosh works for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and specializes in sustainable agriculture, agrobiodiversity and food security. She is the Chief Technical Adviser, Sustainable Rural Agriculture Development Program of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where FAO is providing technical and advisory assistance for strengthening agricultural productivity, natural resource management and value addition of commodities for rural development. Dr. Ghosh has extensive experience in dealing with issues and challenges facing agriculture development around the world. Throughout her career, she was based in the FAO Headquarters in Rome, where she held a range of important positions in Plant Production and Protection Division, Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, FAO’s Strategic Program on Sustainable Food and Agriculture and Partnerships and Cooperation Division.

Cecilia Stanghellini, an Italian physicist with a Dutch PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has been working at Wageningen University and Research Centre (the Netherlands) for more than 30 years, on the resource use and management of greenhouses in wet and dry climates. Major topics are: greenhouse climate simulation and management; crop yield and resource use efficiency; economy and environmental impact of greenhouse crops. She is [co]author of more than 300 publications including a recent textbook on greenhouse technology.

She has lead several large international projects, financed by the European Union, governments and large companies in Europe, Latin America, and Africa on the topic of efficient greenhouse vegetable production and capacity building.

Prof. Dr. Nazim Gruda, University of Bonn, Germany, is a globally renowned authority in horticulture. He is Vice-Chair of the Division of Vegetables, Roots, and Tubers within the International Society for Horticultural Science. For his outstanding work, he received the "Dr Heinrich-Baur-Prize", from the Technical University of Munich and the "National Scientific Prize" from the Academy of Science of Albania. His influential research places him in the top 2% of global scientists, according to Stanford University. He is a member, an Honorary Member, and a Correspondent of three European Academies, and a "Distinguished Scientist" of the Academy of Science of China.

Dr. Michael Salvador has over 15 years of experience in basic research and R&D and a proven track record in developing solar technologies, with emphasis on thin-film, flexible photovoltaics. Michael holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Cologne, Germany. Previously, he has held research positions at universities in the USA and Germany, including Caltech, University of Washington, and University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. In 2019 he took on the role as Principal Technology Lead of the KAUST Solar Center. Michael is also the CEO of Mirai Solar, a startup developing renewable energy solutions that capitalizes on the need for shade. During the last three years he has led Mirai Solar from an R&D project into a full-scale startup with manufacturing capabilities and pilot demonstrations. Michael has contributed to several patents for solar devices including those forming the intellectual property of Mirai Solar. 

Prof. Abdullah is currently a Professor of Horticulture in the Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences at King Saud University.  He earned his BSc. From King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with first degree honor, MSc. Degree from the University of California, Davis, CA, USA and PhD degree from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.

 His Professional Experience extend to administrative and academic fields. He is currently a representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Council of the International Society for Horticultural Sciences. He is also amember of the judging committee for the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity in King Abdulaziz and his Companions for Giftedness and Creativity.  He was a board member of the National Center for the Research and Development in Sustainable Agriculture (ISTIDAMAH). He was the founder dean of the College of Scientific and Humanitarian Studies in Alghat City, Almajmaa University.   He was a consultant in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.  He served as a Chairman of the Department of Plant Production,  President, Saudi Society for Agricultural Sciences, Board member of the Saudi Biological Society. Deputy Dean and Dean of the College of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Director of the Agricultural Research and Experiment Station.  He earned Al-Marai Prize for Scientific Innovation / Creative Work in Plant   Production from AlMarai Agricultural Company and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.  He also had the award for outstanding research publication at King Saud University and outstanding reviewer award from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.

He has published more than 110 Arabic and English articles and authored or translated 12 books or book chapters.  He conducted more than 12 research projects and currently working in 3 projects.  He supervised and co- supervised 32 MsC and PhD students in King Saud university and local and international universities.  His main research interests are protected environment agriculture, environmental stress physiology and use of sustainable and renewable energy in food production.

Dr. Jung Eek Son is a professor emeritus and senior researcher at Seoul National University, Republic of Korea. He works for greenhouse horticulture, vertical farm, and smart farming, particularly on recycled soilless culture, canopy photosynthesis modelling, supplemental inter-lighting, light use efficiency, AI and 3D plant modeling. He published about 230 scientific papers and books; and received academic achievement awards and government-level honors. He served presidents of Korean Societies of Horticultural Science, Bio-environmental control, Vertical Farm Research & Industry, and a WG chair of Integrated Production System (ISHS). He was a convener of GreenSys2013 and is a co-convener of LightSym2024 (Korea).

(Affiliation)

Professor emeritus in Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources and Senior researcher in Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Korea.

Muien Qaryouti has obtained his PhD, 2001, from the Jordan University, in horticulture science.

He started his career as a researcher at the National Agricultural Research Centre since 1992, Amman.

He became a Director for the Irrigated Agriculture Research Program during 2004- 2012, and the Director of Horticultural Research between 2012-2016. Qaryouti continued his career as a Director General Assistant for Research, 2016- 2017, and Deputy Director General.

Besides, he was a member and coordinator of the FAO Regional Working Group on Greenhouse Crop Production in the Mediterranean Region, 2006-2012. Member of the international Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS).

Currently, Qaryouti joined NATIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE (ESTIDAMAH) since 2018.

He is expertise is in crop management in protected agriculture, application of different growing media, resilience abiotic stresses, marketing management and international cooperation. 

Professor of Water Resources at the regional Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Bahrain. He serves as the coordinator of the Water Resources Management Graduate Program and the coordinator of the UN Water Learning Center for the Arab Region hosted by the AGU, and serves as a member of the Permanent Advisory Committee of the Water Resources Council in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He obtained his PhD from Colorado State University in 1990 in the field of groundwater systems mathematical modeling. He teaches graduate courses in Hydrogeology and Water Resources Development, Management and Planning in Arid Regions; has published more than 100 research papers in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, conferences, and seminars;, and supervised more than 45 MSc and PhD theses

Prof. Mohamed Ouessar has a doctorate in Applied Biological Sciences (Land management) from the University of Ghent in Belgium. He is currently a senior researcher at the Arid Zone Research Institute (Tunisia).

He has contributed actively to the realization of numerous joint research projects funded by national and international agencies. His research programs focused mainly on water harvesting, GIS based hydrological modeling and decision support systems, impact assessment, watershed management, climate change impacts and adaptation, combating desertification and drylands management.

He contributed also to the training and capacity building through supervision of trainees and students of all levels from national and international centers and organizations and universities

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Dr. Naser Edin Obeid is the Director General of The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands "ACSAD" from 2020 to date. He holds a PhD in agricultural and environmental economics. He held many positions, such as

Assistant Director General of the ACSAD  2014-2020.

Director of Administrative and Financial department at ACSAD, 1996-2020.

Director of the Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in the Syrian Arab Republic 1993-1995.

During his work at ACSAD, he participated in:

Preparing the ten-year strategies of ACSAD, (1998-2008) (2010-2020).

Preparing the annual plans of ACSAD from 1996 to date.

Preparing the Arab strategy for agricultural development for the years 2009-2025, which was approved by the Arab Summit in its 20th session.

Preparing the financial and accounting system for joint Arab action organizations 2000 (League of Arab States). Member of many scientific and technical committees and participated and lectured in tens of regional and international conferences.

He has many scientific publications in the fields of environmental economics and combating desertification. Chief Editor of the Arab Journal of Arid Environments, published by ACSAD.

David Mulla has been the Larson Chair and Professor for Soil & Water Resources in the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota since 1995.  

He received a Ph.D. degree in Agronomy from Purdue University with emphasis in soil physics.

He was a Professor in the Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences from 1983-1995 at Washington State Univ.

Dr. Mulla’s research emphasizes precision agriculture, land management and water quality modeling, ecosystem services, and international agricultural development.

Dr. Mulla is a Fellow in the Soil Science Society of America, and the Agronomy Society of America.

H.E Dr. Abdulaziz Almalik ,Deputy minister for research and innovation for the Ministry for Environment Water and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia

Abdulaziz Almalik is the deputy minister for research and innovation at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia. Prior to joining MEWA, he served as vice-president for scientific research support, vice-president for innovation and technology commercialisation, director of the Life Sciences and Environmental Research Institute, vice-chair of the Scientific Council, and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (2015-23). He was also a senior adviser to the governor and a founding member of the founding team of the Research, Development and Innovation Authority. He has extensive experience in developing and managing national-scale RDI initiatives backed by knowledge of intellectual property generation, acquisition, management and strong academic credentials.

Since 2017, working as Regional Officer for Plant Protection and Production (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the Near East and North Africa Region), he is currently leading the plant protection activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization in the Near East and North Africa.

·       Responsible for guiding FAO's response to regional and national priorities for food security, Pest and Pesticide management, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities in NENA region.

·       Lead the regional and national dialogue with high level authority and planning for the need and implementation of NENA counties for sustainable management and development in food safety and security focusing on plant health and plant production.

·       Lead seed management and genetic resource conservation, as well as, the regional strategy to control Transboundary Plant Pests and Diseases. At the same time, he works for the implementation process of innovative monitoring, early warning, forecasting, rapid response for plant pest and disease.

·       Plan and lead the implementation process of national and regional communication and capacity development to promote sustainable and environmentally sound management and control techniques.

Mr. Yaseen worked for 18 years as a professor of plant pathology at CIHEAM: International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies, Bari Italy, and he obtained a professor's degree at the National Research Institute in Rome - Italy. (Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology). Professor Yaseen has supervised more than 14 doctoral degree and more than 52 master's degrees in disease and pest control science. Professor Yaseen has published more than 124 scientific papers, including 50 papers published in internationally refereed journals, 70 research papers in conference publications, and 6 scientific books.

Aly Abousabaa is CGIAR’s Regional Director, Central and West Asia and North Africa, as well as Director-General of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).
He is a strategic leader in sustainable development, climate change advocacy, and agriculture research in the global dry regions.
Prior to joining CGIAR to head ICARDA, Aly was Vice President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). He led the preparation and execution of the bank’s key strategies in agriculture, water, natural resources management, climate change, infrastructure, women, youth, and governance. Through mobilizing and managing a portfolio of USD 11 billion, his work made a transformational impact on the lives of millions of people across Africa. Aly also helped coordinate climate change negotiations in Africa and acted as Gender Champion. He serves on several international boards such as the board of governors at the Arab Water Council and the Board of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation.

Ms. Yüksel Tüzel graduated from Ege University in 1981 with an MSc degree and received her PhD in in 1989. Between 1983 and 1984 she was employed by the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry and thereafter became Research Assistant at the Faculty of Agriculture of Ege University. She became Associate Professor in 1992. Since 1998 she has been working at the Horticulture Department of the Agricultural Faculty of Ege University as a Full Professor. Prof. Tüzel was a Visiting Scientist at Horticultural Research International in Littlehampton, United Kingdom, April-September 1988, and at Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands, January-June 2012.

Her expertise is in development of vegetable production technologies in greenhouses. She has worked on soilless culture systems, irrigation and fertilization management, abiotic stress response and grafting. In 2000 she started to work on organic greenhouse vegetable production.

Prof. Tüzel has lectured on protected cultivation to undergraduate and postgraduate students. She has supervised Masters and PhD students and conducted international and national projects. She has authored more than 300 scientific articles in SCI journals, national refereed journals, international and national symposia, books and chapters. Prof. Tüzel was the member of FAO Regional Working groups on Protected Cultivation. She served as the ISHS President between 2018 and 2022.

Professor at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). He received a Bachelor’s degree from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, a Master’s degree from King Saud University in 2007, and a Ph.D. in 2013 from Swansea University, UK, in the field of water treatment.

Currently, He leads the Sustainability and Environment Sector at KACST as Vice President of the Sustainability and Environment Sector. Dr. Alkhudhiri held several administrative positions as the manager of the National Center for Nanotechnology, manager of the National Center for Desalination and Water Treatment, and manager of the National Center for Chemical Technologies. Participated as a member of the local expert team in preparing a report on future technologies for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia issued by KACST in 2021. Dr. Alkhudhiri has also carried out many research projects in the field of desalination and water treatment, and he was a member of several water treatment committees.

Maha M. Khayyat is a research professor of physics of semiconductors at the Energy and Industry Sector, King Abdulaziz Cityfor science and Technology (KACST). She received her PhD from Cavendish laboratory, University of Cambridge. She worked at several technically prestigious labs, including Nanoscience Center, Cambridge, T. J.Watson Research Center of IBM, and Center of Clean Water and Energy, Mechanical Engineering Department, MIT.

Dr. Felwa Abdullah Thagfan holds a Ph.D. in parasitology. Her academic journey began with a BSc.in Zoology from Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, followed by a Master of Science in Zoology from King Saud university and subsequent doctoral studies. Her teaching experience spans various levels, including a health education instructor at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, teaching assistant positions at both Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman and King Saud universities, then become an Assistant Professor at biology department at princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman university and later an Associate Professor of Parasitology. Her leadership roles at princess Nourah bint Abdulrhman university include serving as the Former Head of research and innovation unit, Former Head of the Scientific Journals Unit, and Former Managing Editor of Biodiversity Research Journal. Currently, she serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Science at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University.

Dr. Thagfan is a member of the Australian Society for Parasitology. Her published works concentrate on the utilization of natural plants in treating parasitic diseases, notably focusing on the indigenous flora of Saudi Arabia.

He holds a doctorate in analytical chemistry and materials chemistry from Oklahoma State University, USA, in 2006. He works in the field of environmental research and the development of separation technologies. He also works on developing materials with high surface areas for multiple uses in environmental, energy and water research.

The founding supervisor of the Advanced Materials Research Chair and head of the Chromatography Research Group, he supervised 12 master’s students, and 8 doctoral students, and with the participation of his colleagues and students, he published more than 200 research papers published in prestigious international scientific journals, 18 patents, and translated a book specialized in chromatography.

A founding member of the Gulf Chemists Union, he is also a member of the Arab Chemists Union and the Asian Chemists Union.

He received many local, regional and international awards and was ranked among the most cited scientists for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022.

He currently works as Dean, College of Science at KSU and Chairman of Saudi Chemical Society.

 EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: 

• PhD in International Agricultural Development from Tokyo University of Agriculture. Japan. 
• Master of Science Diploma in Plant Breeding from the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies- Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Saragossa (CIHEAM-IAMZ). Spain. 
• Diploma of Specialized Post-Graduate Studies in Plant Breeding from International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies- Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Saragossa. (CIHEAM-IAMZ). Spain. 
• Agricultural Engineer Diploma from Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (IAV Hassan II). Rabat. Morocco 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 

• Chief of Farming at Al Madinah Heritage Company. (2023-Now)
• Agricultural Expert at the National Center for Palms & Dates. Riyadh. (2022-2023) 
• R&D and Projects Manager at Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group). Saudi Arabia and Quality Manager at ASYLA Gum Co Ltd. Senegal (Feb 2020-2022). 
• R&D, Organic project and Quality Manager at Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Saudi Arabia (June 2019-Feb 2020) and Quality Manager at ASYLA Gum Co Ltd. Senegal. Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group) (Feb 2020-Now) • R&D Manager. Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group). Saudi Arabia (2010- June 2019) 
• Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Sciences and Techniques (FST)-University of Kadi Ayyad. Beni Mellal. Morocco (2002-2010) 
• Research scientist at the Biotechnology Unit, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, INRA (National Institute of Agronomic Research). Morocco. Rabat (2008-2010) 
• Manager of the Department of Technical Education, Vocational Training, Research and Development at the Regional Directorate of Agriculture in Tadla. Morocco (2008-2010) 
• Manager of the Regional Department of Certification of Seed and Nurseries. Beni Mellal. Morocco (2000-2008) 
• Controller of seeds and nurseries at the Regional Department of Certification of Seed and Nurseries. Beni Mellal. Morocco (1997-2000) 
• Farm Manager of Haddawi Farms. Larache. Morocco. (1995-1997) 

Woody possesses over 16 years of experience in designing and implementing collaborations in both private and public sector in the areas of outcome-driven transformation, strategic advisory, delivery unit design and activation.

His experience covers organizations in various countries in SE Asia, Middle East, and Africa, and he has previously advised Ministers on National Level initiatives in these countries. 

In NEOM Food, Woody is responsible for building and maintaining synergistic strategic initiatives with key public sector partners, stakeholders, and other entities within the food ecosystem in NEOM and KSA, particularly in the areas of regulations, innovation, research and talent pipeline development."

PhD from Auburn University, Alabama, 2016.

He held a number of administrative positions at King Faisal University and represented the university in the National Dialogue Workshop for Sustainable Food Systems in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as in a workshop for the G20 meeting entitled: Water, Energy and Food. In addition to a number of international conferences, he also worked in a number of committees within the university and at the Kingdom level, and is Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the International Conference on Food Security and Environmental Sustainability. He currently works as an associate professor at King Faisal University and holds the position of Dean of the College of Agricultural and Food Sciences since 2019.

Salim Al-Babili received his PhD from the University Freiburg, Germany. After his PhD, he obtained a Rockefeller Post-Doc fellowship to work on developing “Golden Rice” in the lab of Peter Beyer and in collaboration with Ingo Potrykus. In 2007, he received his Habilitation in Cell Biology at the University of Freiburg and is currently Professor for Plant Scince and Bioengineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. The general objective of his research group, the BioActives lab, is to improve the performance and nutritional value of crops by genetic engineering or through application of growth regulators. His group combines enzymology-based, metabolomics and genetic approaches to elucidate metabolic networks and identify new signaling molecules related to abiotic/biotic stress and plant development, with focus on carotenoid and apocarotenoids. Salim Al-Babili has made essential contributions to engineering crops with enhanced pro-vitamin A content and to elucidating carotenoid/apocarotenoid metabolism in plants and microorganisms. His work on retinal biosynthesis in cyanobcateria led to the first structure elucidation of a carotenoid cleavage oxygenase. Through the discovery of carlactone, his research deciphered the core-pathway in the biosynthesis of the carotenoid-derived plant hormone strigolactone. In the last years, he has been focusing on the identification and biology of novel apocarotenoid growth regulators, which revealed the regulatory metabolite anchorene, and the hormone-candidate zaxinone and an epoxidase-independent route for abscisic acid biosynthesis. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and KAUST, he is currently heading an international consortium to combat the root parasitic plant Striga hermonthica, a major threat to global food security, in sub-Saharan Africa, by using hormone-based approaches based on his basic research. He has several patents and more than 150 peer reviewed papers.

Dr. Zeyad alZeyadi is a highly accomplished biotechnologist and esteemed faculty member at the College of Applied Medical Sciences. With a remarkable career dedicated to research and innovation, he currently holds the distinguished position of General Manager of the General Department of Research and Knowledge at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

Beyond his research achievements, Dr. alZeyadi's impact extends to his advisory role at the Ministry of Health's biosafety committee. As a trusted expert, he provides invaluable guidance on matters pertaining to the safe and ethical application of biotechnology. His unwavering commitment to promoting biosafety measures ensures the responsible utilization of emerging technologies, safeguarding both human welfare and the environment.

Jouke Campen became an engineer in Applied Physics at the Technical University of Delft, specialized in heat and mass transfer. He started working at Wageningen UR in 1997.

His main field of research is energy and climate control in protected horticulture.

Over the years he has become an expert in computational fluid dynamics calculations for greenhouses. He finished his PhD on dehumidification of greenhouses October 2009.

Currently he is the coordinator of the energy program of the ministry of Agriculture in The Netherlands involving annually 7 million EURO of projects on reducing energy use in the Dutch protected horticultural sector.

Aside of this task he is international project manager for the last 10 years working on numerous projects all around the world. 

Prof. Salah El-Hendawy obtained his PhD from the Department of Plant Sciences at the Technical University of Munich, Germany in 2004. He has held various faculty positions in the Agronomy Department at the Faculty of Agriculture at Suez Canal University from Demonstrator to Professor. He was awarded a postdoctoral scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in 2007 and the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) in 2009. Seconded to work as a professor in the Department of Plant Production at the College of Food and Agricultural Sciences - King Saud University in 2012 until now. He has published over 100 research articles in international scientific journals indexed in Q1 and Q2. He has been recognized among the top 2% of scientists worldwide for 2021 and 2022. His research focuses on enhancing irrigation water management and introducing innovative approaches to maximize irrigation water use for field crops in arid and semiarid conditions. Recent efforts have focused on non-destructive methods to accurately assess important traits of drought- and salt-affected genotypes under field conditions (Precision Phenotyping).

Independent consultant & former director of, the Water, Land, and Ecosystems Program, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Formerly, a distinguished professor of agricultural water management at Tottori University in Japan. Since 1991, worked for ICARDA as director, scientist, and research manager.  Earlier, worked for the University of Jordan, as an assistant prof. in irrigation and drainage engineering. Received BSc. degree in agriculture and MSc and Ph.D. in irrigation engineering from Utah State University, Utah, USA. Has over 40 years of experience and leadership in international research and development, capacity building, and agricultural water management. Worked in over 80 countries on implementing projects, training, and mobilizing funds for agricultural water management projects in developing countries. Author of 86 refereed journal publications, 13 books, 34 book chapters, and over 200 proceedings, reports, and awareness publications in the areas of water use efficiency, supplemental irrigation, water harvesting, water productivity, deficit irrigation, salinity, and the management of scarce water resources. Reviewer and member of editorial boards of several refereed journals.

Matthew McCabe is a Professor of Remote Sensing and Water Security and Director of the Climate and Liveability Initiative at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Matthew received his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Newcastle in Australia. Before coming to KAUST in 2012, he held research positions at Princeton University, Los Alamos National Laboratory and was an Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales. His research explores multi-disciplinary issues around water and food security, climate change impacts, precision agriculture, and water resources monitoring and modelling, focusing on the use of novel technologies for enhanced Earth observation and data-model integration. Prof McCabe has published more than 250 research papers and been recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher every year since 2019. He is the Section Chief Editor of Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and an Associate Editor of Remote Sensing. Prof McCabe was the recipient of the 2022 Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water. He is also a co-founder of SarSatX, a Saudi-based satellite and data-analytics company, and was responsible for the launch of Saudi Arabia’s first hyperspectral satellite in 2023. He is the coordinating editor of the recently published “Climate Futures: Saudi Arabia in a 3 degrees warmer world” report.

Dr. Pierre Broun is Director of Climate-Resilient Agriculture at NEOM, overseeing the development of sustainable, innovative and profitable farming systems to support food self-sufficiency at NEOM and food security for the country. 

Before joining NEOM, Dr. Broun held executive positions in the food industry to ensure sustainable agricultural supply, leading plant science and technology in large agri-food companies, including over 10 years as head of plant science at Nestlé. 

Dr. Broun started his career in biotechnology, both in industry and academia. 

He holds a PhD in plant breeding and biometry from Cornell University.

Professor Yakov Kuzyakov worked in various Soil and Environmental Science departments of universities and research institutes worldwide: Germany, USA, UK, Russia, and China. His expertise covers soil ecology, biogeochemistry, rhizosphere processes, C and N cycling, soil degradation, land use and agroecology. Methodical expertise is based on application of stable and radioactive isotopes at natural abundance and labeling. Yakov led research projects in many countries: Germany, China, Korea, Tanzania, Indonesia, Russia, and Chile. Together with his group, Yakov focuses on soil biogeochemistry with long-term and deep expertise for C and N cycles, priming effects, and nutrient mobilization. His special interests are soil-plant-microbial interactions in hotspots. His groundbreaking works are in the fields of rhizodeposition, low molecular weight organic substances, priming effects, visualization of enzyme activities, localization of root exudation. These processes are studied depending on land use and soil degradation, as well as such global change components as warming, drought, elevated CO₂. Yakov group made many innovative studies to pedogenic carbonates, biochar stability, competition of roots and microorganisms for nutrients, microbial metabolism in soil, effects of plant photosynthesis on CO₂ efflux from soil. The applied studies are focused on C sequestration, soil fertility improvements, and reforestation effects. To understand the process mechanisms, Yakov group use a broad range of stable (¹³C, ¹⁵N) and radioactive (¹⁴C, ³²P, ³³P, ¹³⁷Cs) isotopes applications including pioneering position specific labeling and combine these approaches with biomarkers (PLFA, amino sugars, neutral sugars) as well as microbial activity parameters (enzyme and respiratory activities, microbial growth). Yakov is an active member of several editorial boards, for top-ranked journals including Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Land Degradation and Development, Biogeosciences, Rhizosphere, Scientific Reports etc. He was awarded in 2015 the John Waid Award for Best Review Paper in Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 2016 the EGU Outstanding Editor Award etc. Yakov is Visiting Professor and has very close and intensive collaboration with various top universities and research institutes in China.       

Prof. Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Wabel, the driving force behind SBRG, is a well-known Environmental and Soil Scientist with significant contributions to the field of biochar research. Prof. Al-Wabel is an enthusiastic and visionary scientist leading various research projects to synthesize, characterize, and apply biochar to solve the critical issues of soil, environment, and climate. Due to his passion, innovation, and dedication, Prof. Al-Wabel has proved himself a game-changer for biochar research in Saudi Arabia and demonstrated impactful insights into environmental sustainability and carbon management research.

Prof. Mohammad I Al-Wabel works in the Department of Soil Sciences, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (KSU). His prominent research areas are the production of biochar-based low-cost adsorbents for environmental management, monitoring, modelling, soil and environment pollution assessment and remediation, carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation, and revitalization of abandoned soil.

Prof. Mohammad Al-Wabel received his Master's in Soil Sciences from KSU in 1995 and Ph.D. in Soil Chemistry from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA in 2001. He has served as the Chairman of the Department of Soil Sciences at KSU from 2008 to 2012 and from 2017 to 2018. He has also served as the Dean of the Deanship of Scientific Research at KSU from 2018-2022. He has supervised several Master's and Ph.D. theses research. Professor Al-Wabel has published more than 130+ research articles in peer-reviewed national and international journals and more than 8+ book chapters in various books. He has an H-index of 47+ with more than 8200+ citations. He has completed more than 20 research projects as P. I and Co-P.I. in various interdisciplinary subjects. Due to his research contributions, he has been awarded the Research Achievement Award, High-Impact Publication Award, and various other awards. 

Galvanized by the immense importance of biochar, Prof. Al-Wabel founded the SBRG in 2011. Under his leadership, the SBRG hasflourished and became the symbol of innovation in biochar research. Biochar can increase crop productivity by up to 25% by improving nutrient retention of soil by up to 50%, subsequently reducing fertilizer demands. Biochar can sequester substantial amounts of carbon in soil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%. Due to the significant importance of biochar for agriculture, climate, and the environment, the SBRG, under the leadership of Prof. Al-Wabel, is inspiring researchers, environmentalists, industrialists, and policymakers to adopt biochar technology to improve ecosystem health and mitigate climate change for future generations.

Ismail Cakmak earned his PhD at the University Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany, and full Professor at the Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey. Published over 240-peer-reviewed articles, named among the “highly cited researchers” by Clarivate Analytics (Thomson Reuters) and ranked   in the top 0.05 % of most influential scientists in all scientific disciplines in 2022 by Stanford University, based on Elsevier’s Scopus Database.

He has received IFA “International Crop Nutrition Award in 2005, Australian Crawford Fund “Derek Tribe Medal” in 2007, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation-Georg Forster Research Award in 2014, International Plant Nutrition Institute-IPNI Science Prize in 2016 and the World Academy of Sciences-Agricultural Science Prize in 2016.  He is an elected member of “The Academia Europaea” and “The Science Academy” of Turkey.

Joined International Centre for Bio-Saline Agriculture (ICBA), Dubai as Program Leader/section head of the Crop Diversity and Genetics group on 15th Nov 2018 after long stint in rice crop for abiotic stresses. Currently leading the specialized group working on use of suitable cropping solutions for very harsh marginal environments (salty water and soil, drought and high temperature) which is going to be much worsened in future due to climate change. Our major focus in middle east and north Africa (MENA), Central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), besides recent outreach to S and SE Asia as well.

Alanoud Alfagham is an assistant professor in Plant ecology and physiology at King Saud University (KSU). Her research focuses on how the global water shortage affects plant diversity, molecular biology, and physiology. She has published papers in high-impact scientific journals and conferences, and her contribution draws attention to the importance of leaf age consideration in plant drought resistance. She has been learning bioinformatics using advanced computer languages and programs. She aims to contribute to documenting Saudi wheat local cultivars as a highly genetic resource, which could pave the way for improving the physiological response to drought stress in wheat cultivars and informing the breeding programs.

Ali Al Lawati is a scientist in the field of Plant Genetic Resources and crop improvement. Currently, Al Lawati is Assistant Professor in Plant Genetics and Biotechnology in the University of Nizwa. Current, research activity is on the medicinal plants’ conservation and characterization. In addition, Al Lawati is managing the Seed genebank a collaborative project between Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Center and the University of Nizwa.

Al Lawati had BSc. (1990) and MSc. (1998) in Plant Sciences and Environment Sciences, respectively, from Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. he had a Ph.D. (2006) in Agronomy (Plant Breeding and Genetics) and minor in Experimental Statistics from New Mexico State University, U.S.A.

Dr. Ibrahim M. El-Ashmawy, a distinguished pharmacologist, currently holds the position of Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt. Since September 15, 2012, he has been affiliated with the College of Agricultural and Veterinary Medicine at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. He earned a B.V. Med. Sci. with honors in May 1984, followed by an MS in Pharmacology in 1988 and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology in 1991. Throughout his career, Dr. El-Ashmawy has held various positions, starting as a Demonstrator (1984-1988) in the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University. He progressed to become an Assistant Lecturer (1988-1991), Lecturer (1991-1995), Assistant Professor (1995-2000), and eventually a professor (2000- …). His teaching experiences include instructing undergraduate students in Pharmacology and Drug Toxicology. Additionally, he has taught advanced courses in Pharmacology and Toxicology to graduate students, guiding their research projects, and has supervised numerous Master Thesis and Ph.D. Dissertations (23 Master Theses and Ph.D. (10)). Dr. El-Ashmawy's academic and research experiences also extend abroad, where he served as a Visiting Professor at the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany, in 2000. Dr. El-Ashmawy has actively contributed to various scientific projects, partnering in endeavors such as antiviral activity of a newly formulated herbal mixture, therapeutic efficacy of Copper (I) nicotinate, development of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug from blue green algae, and more. Throughout his career, Dr. El-Ashmawy has received numerous awards, honors, and grants, including the State Prize for Scientific Encouragement in Agricultural Sciences (2000), Alexandria University Prize for Scientific Encouragement (2000), Alexandria University Prize for Scientific Excellence (2009), and the State Prize for Scientific Excellence (2010), among others. Dr. El-Ashmawy's contributions extend to conferences, where he has actively participated in both national and international events related to pharmacology and toxicology. His research interests cover a wide scope, including herbal medicine, heavy metals, drug safety assessment, teratology, male fertility, GC/MS analysis, pharmacodynamics, neuromuscular junction, pharmacogenetics, anti-inflammatory and analgesic screenings, and neuropharmacology. With a prolific academic career, Dr. Ibrahim M. El-Ashmawy continues to make significant contributions to the field of pharmacology and veterinary medicine.

Currently he is an Associate professor of Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology at King Saud University, College of Food and Agriculture Science, Plant Production Department.  He got his Engineer in Horticulture (1991) from ESH Chott-Mariem (TUNISIA), Master of Sciences (1993) in Plant Tissue culture and Genetic Engineering from ENSH Versailles (FRANCE), Doctor's degree (Ph.D.) (1998) in plant Biotechnology & cellular and molecular biology from INA-PG Paris Sud University, France.  He worked at INRA-Versailles (France) as Ph.D. Student, at ICGEB-New Delhi for two years as Post-Doc, at Center of Biotechnology of Sfax (Tunisia) for 10 years and from September 2010 to present he works at King Saud University. His Research Interest are Plant Molecular Biology and physiology (Plant Biotechnology, Biopharming, Abiotic stress tolerance), Plant Tissue culture genetic engineering, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), Genomics and Bioinformatics of extremophile plants as a sink for stress tolerant related genes, and Hydroponics/Aeroponics growing systems and Plant Growth-Promoting Microorganisms for Agriculture and Ecological Sustainability.

Hirt studied biochemistry at the Univ. of Cape Town and Vienna where he received his PhD in 1987. After post-doctoral fellowships at the Univ. of Oxford and Wageningen, he became Professor of Genetics at the Univ. of Vienna. In 2007, he was nominated Director of the INRAe Plant Genomics Institute in Paris and of the Center for Desert Agriculture at KAUST in 2014. Hirt has a long standing record on how plants can survive under abiotic or biotic stress conditions (more than 300 publications, h-index 95). His current research is focused on how plants can survive under abiotic or biotic stress conditions by identifying and using beneficial microbes of desert plants

He holds a Ph.D. in two distinct fields—firstly, in Biochemistry from the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, exploring the impact of lead exposure on oxidative stress, and subsequently, in Advanced Biotechnology and Biodiversity from the University of Silesia in Katowice, focusing on the root system development of Hordeum vulgare L. He received his master’s degree in biotechnology and biology and a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Silesia in Katowice. Professionally, he has held roles ranging from Head of Content and Co-Owner at Content Farmers Sp. z o.o. to serving as an Associate Editor at BioAgWorld Digest and a Sales Specialist at Przedsiębiorstwo ARKOP Sp. z o.o. He has experience in internships at renowned institutions globally, and has actively contributed to nine international research grants, authored a patent application, and published several articles in scientific journals and conference materials.

Northern Border University (Arar). Prof. Abdulhakim Bawadekji obtained his degree in Agricultural Sciences (1989-1993) from Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomiques (Montpellier - France). He is an ex-faculty member of, the Department of Horticulture, and ex-director of the edible mushroom research laboratory, the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Aleppo. (Aleppo, Syria). He is a professor at Northern Border University, College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences. He has published over 75 research articles in international scientific. He is a member of the editorial board of many international journals. His research focuses on studying native flora and native fungi of Northern Border Region (Arar - Saudi Arabia). Competing desertification and reforestation of arid zones via improving seedling quality in nurseries using endomycorrhizal inoculation of roots.

Ce Yang is an Associate Professor working on remote sensing for precision agriculture and high-throughput phenotyping at the University of Minnesota, USA. She leads the Agricultural Robotics Lab in the department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering to work on nutrient management, yield prediction and disease detection of staple food crops. The Ag Robotics Lab’s mission is to apply advanced ideas of robotics, remote sensing, data mining and information technology into precision agriculture. The core techniques they use include multispectral/hyperspectral imaging, spectroscopy, machine learning, geographic information system (GIS), digital mapping, biochemical sensing, etc. The tools available for carrying out her research are unmanned aerial vehicle, unmanned ground vehicle, video camera, multispectral camera, hyperspectral camera, DGPS, and various electrical, optical and chemical sensors. Ce Yang obtained her PhD degree in Agricultural Engineering and MS degree in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Florida.

Agricultural Engineer, PhD in Agricultural Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is a Professor at the University of São Paulo (USP), in the Department of Biosystems Engineering, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), in Piracicaba, São Paulo, since 1989, where he coordinates the Precision Agriculture Laboratory. He works at the interface between the area of Agricultural Machinery and Precision Agriculture, especially with crop and soil sensors, spatial variability, yield mapping and site specific application of inputs. He coordinated the Brazilian Congress of Precision Agriculture from its creation in 2004 until 2018

Francelino Rodrigues has been working in precision agriculture and remote sensing since 2004, including in his MSc, PhD and Postdoctoral studies. During his time, he has gained precision agriculture and remote sensing experience in contrasting cropping systems (coffee, sugarcane, cereals) in various countries (Brazil, Australia and Mexico) and at different spatio-temporal scales - from plot experiments towards small and commercial farming systems to regional scale. Before joining Lincoln Agritech in July 2021, he worked for around nine years at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). At CIMMYT he was involved in projects related to maize and wheat high throughput field phenotyping, and precision agriculture and remote sensing techniques applied to crop management at different spatial scales – executing field campaigns in countries in East Africa and South Asia and Mexico

Currently, he is Associate Professor (tenure track), Department of Plant Resources and Environment, Jeju National University, since2022. As well as He is a Member of European Cooperation in Science and Technology since 2022 and he is the CEO of Pytomix Corporation since 2021. He is Assistant Professor (tenure track), Department of Plant Resources and Environment, Jeju National University, 2018-2022. He worked on Plant Breeding and Genetics using conventional and modern methods with phenomics. He did Postdoctoral Research Associate, Plant Sciences Institute, Iowa State University, 2014-2016 with the Advisor: Professor Patrick Schnable. Develop field-based high throughput phenotyping system for corn using time lapse as a Project Lead. He Established multidisciplinary collaborations with several ISU departments and private company.

Prof. Dr. Khalid A. Al-Gaadi: Received a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from Colorado State University, USA, in 1998.  Currently working as a Full Professor in the Department of Agricultural Engineering in King Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).  His research interests include Agricultural Power and Machinery, with focus on Precision Agriculture (PA).  Established the Precision Agriculture Research Chair (PARC) in 2009 and currently working as the Chair Director.  He is the representative of KSA in the International Society for Precision Agriculture and is a member of many international and local scientific societies.  He has published more than 75 scientific papers in refereed scientific journals and participated in more than 25 international scientific conferences related to his research interests. Prof. Al-Gaadi is a co-researcher for a number of current and previous research funded projects.  He supervised a number of graduate students in the field of PA and agricultural machinery. 

Scientist (Seed and rangeland ecology), International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), ICARDA-UAE country manager and Arabian Peninsula Regional Program Coordinator. Seed technologist and Rangeland Ecologist with a PhD degree from the Wageningen University, the Netherlands.  35 years of experience working on seed science and technology and rangeland monitoring, restoration, and management, and community-based rehabilitation. Currently the Manager of the ICARDA United Arab Emirates Office and the Arabian Peninsula Regional Program. With a track record in leadership and program management at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), he currently works as the ICARDA UAE Office Manager and Coordinator of the ICARDA Arabian Peninsula Regional Program since 2020. Since 2022, he also led the ICARDA component of the One CGIAR Initiative on Nature Positive Solutions in Agriculture. From 2016 to 2021, he actively participated in implementing the seed system development and diversification component of the CRP-Wheat and coordinated the Iran-ICARDA food security project. Earlier, he led the ICARDA International Nurseries Program from 2007 to 2016 and led the seed component of the Water Productivity Improvement of Cereals and Food Legumes Challenge Program in the Atbara Basin of Eritrea from 2008 to 2010.

Dr. Essam holds a Bachelor degree in Chemistry from King Saud University, a Master degree in Physical Chemistry from Manchester University in UK and a PhD degree in Thermo-Chemistry from Leeds University in UK.

Dr. Essam is a Research Fellow at SABIC Agri Nutrients Company.  He has been holding the position of Senior Manager for Agri Nutrients Technology & Innovation (T&I) Specialty department since 2016. Prior to this, he has been holding many management positions within SABIC T&I.

Dr Zainab Oyetunde-Usman is a Research Social Scientist with background in agricultural and behavioural economics. She completed her Ph.D. at the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich and her research interestingly focused on the Impact and behavioural analysis of the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among farm households in developing countries using various adoption probabilities, impact, and behavioural analysis techniques. She currently works at the Net-Zero and Resilient Farming Department at Rothamsted Research, UK, contributing to the social advancement of improved techniques for tackling climate issues. Her research aims are tailored to providing evidence-based policy intervention that increases resilience and minimises the farming population's vulnerability

Ashok Kumar Are obtained his Ph D from Division of Genetics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and completed certification courses in Data-driven decisions, Product Management and Leading the Organization from the Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Queensland. Currently he is working as Director, a.i. Regional Program –Asia, Cluster Leader – Seed systems, and Product Placement Lead -Asia at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semiarid Tropics (ICRISAT), India. He has >23 years of research experience in genetics, plant breeding for developing improved breeding processes and market-preferred cultivars in various crops, particularly the sorghum and castor that resulted in release of more than 100 cultivars in 15 countries. Deploying data-driven decisions in breeding is one of the core areas of his work. Since 2006, his major focus is on modernizing the breeding programs, developing innovative approaches that enhance rate of genetic gain in crops for various end uses and in developing innovative seed systems for rapid replacement of farmers’ varieties. He is currently providing vision and operational plans for the Regional Program -Asia that works with three global research programs at ICRISAT in co-designing and co-creation of new knowledge, products and technologies and their dissemination. He led the projects on biofortifying sorghum with higher grain Zn and Fe and developing sorghums amenable for first (1G) and second generation (2G) bioenergy production besides forage sorghum. He served as an International Consultant to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the UN in Sudan, Namibia, and Austria. He has guided 10 Ph D students and published 98 journal articles, 45 book chapters, 50 conference papers and co-authored 8 books.

Dato’ Dr Mohamad Zabawi expertise includes soil science (soil conservation), agroecological zonation, climate change, green technology, and water stress physiology. Dato’ Dr Mohamad Zabawi obtained his PhD in Water Stress Physiology and MSc in Tropical Agriculture from The Reading Unversity in 2006 and 1993, and his BSc in Agriculture Science (Major in Soil Physic and Conservation) from Universiti Putra Malaysia in 1988. He is the Chairman of the vulnerability and adaptation of agriculture to climate change for the Third National Communication. He is also a member for Academy of Sciences Malaysia Water and Climate Change Task Force, committee member for Research and Innovation in Green Technology and Climate Change, committee member for Adaptation in Green Technology and Climate Change.

Josef Soukup is a Professor and Head of the Department of Agroecology and Crop Production at the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic. He currently serves as the Dean of that Faculty. He has established and lead a local weed research group with extensive collaborations with leading domestic and international research institutions, industry, and farmer´s associations. His recent research areas are the herbicide resistance, herbicide tolerant crops and co-existence of GM and non-GM cropping systems. His group is steadily involved in many research projects financially supported by different grant agencies and industry. Josef Soukup serves as President of the European Weed Research Society in 2022-2023 and maintains networking with other weed science and crop protection societies. 

Dr. Johan A. Stenberg is a Professor in Integrated Plant Protection and Director of the SLU Center for Biological Control.

Dr. Mudasir Gani is working as Assistant Professor at Division of Entomology, Faculty of Horticulture, SKUAST-K, Shalimar, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India. He had completed Ph.D. Entomology from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir India and Post-Doc from Institute for Biological Control, Julius Kuhn Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Germany. He has a very good experience on mass rearing techniques of insect parasitoids and predators - their field evaluation and impact assessment; host-pathogen interactions and molecular aspects of entomology. He has guided 07 Masters student’s and co-guided 3 doctoral students in the discipline of Agricultural Entomology. He has published more than 25 research papers in high impact factor journals in the discipline of Entomology in general and insect pathology in particular.

Hessel van der Heide is a Technical Researcher Entomology at the business unit Greenhouse Horticulture part of Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands. He specializes in biological control of pests in greenhouse crops, varying from food crops to (cut)flowers. He has worked on a wide variety of pests, including stinkbugs, aphids, thrips, whiteflies, and others. In addition to pests, he has also worked with various biological control agents, supplementary foods to create so called “standing armies” of biological control agents and predatory mites. Currently he works a lot on banker plant systems to get an early establishment of biological control agents or to support biological control agents to establish under suboptimal conditions.

Dr. Luma Al -Banna is a Professor in the Department of Plant Protection, School of Agriculture, University of Jordan since 1996. She received a B.S. in Plant Production and Plant Protection from University of Jordan in 1981 and her M.S. & Ph.D. in Plant Pathology/Nematology from University of California, Davis, in 1992 and 1996, respectively.  Formerly, Al-Banna served as the department head of Plant Protection and at present, she is the Assistant Dean for Alumni Affairs at the School of Agriculture, University of Jordan. She is currently appointed as an ambassador of University of Bonn, Germany in Jordan.  Her areas of research interests include nematode systematics, epidemiology, and management of plant diseases. Luma was a visiting Scientist at UC Davis, UC Riverside, and University of Bonn. Al-Banna has published numerous articles and manuscripts in several international journals, including Australasian Plant Pathology, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Crop Protection, Journal of Nematology, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Nematologia Mediterrenea, Phytopathologia Mediterranea, and Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. She has supervised/co-supervised 12 MSc students, 5 PhD students, and teaches courses in plant pathology/nematology at the undergraduate and graduate levels for almost 27 years at the University of Jordan.

Abdo Hassoun is the founder of Sustainable AgriFoodtech Innovation & Research (SAFIR), a non-profit research organization that works in collaboration with other notable partners to contribute to addressing food sustainability issues and making food healthier and more affordable. He completed his Ph.D. in 2016 in France and carried out his postdoctoral research work at the Norwegian Food Research Institute (Nofima). Dr. Hassoun has also experience from the University of the Littoral Opal Coast in France (ULCO). He has been among the first researchers who have explored the potential of Industry 4.0 and emerging technologies in agriculture and the food industry. He serves as an Editorial Board Member and Guest Editor of several international journals and has contributed to numerous scientific publications.

Dr. Salah bin Muhammad Abdulaziz Al-Eid is currently a Professor of Food Science and Technology at the College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University. He holds a Ph.D. in Grain Science and Technology from Kansas State University in the USA. Dr. Al-Eid's extensive contributions and publication, exceeds fifty research papers. Additionally, he holds three granted US patents. His commitment to excellence in scientific research has been recognized through the prestigious Al-Marai Scientific Creativity Award. In terms of leadership and governance, Dr. Al-Eid is an esteemed member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority since 2021. He also contributes to the agricultural sector as a member of the Board of Directors of the Agricultural Development Fund, a role he has held since 2020. Furthermore, he is a board member of the Research Excellence Center for Palm and Dates at King Faisal University since 2022. Internationally, Dr. Al-Eid has engaged in collaborative research projects with esteemed institutions. Notable among these is his collaboration with Inner Mongolia Agricultural University in China, focusing on the potential of fresh and fermented camel milk as a source of probiotics (2022 – 2024). His international collaborations also include partnerships with the University of Lorraine and the Higher Agricultural Institute in France, where he worked on the production of the antibiotic Streptomycin from dates using fermentation technology (2013 – 2018). Additionally, he collaborated with Michigan State University in the USA on projects related to biofuel production from dates (2012-2014) and X-ray irradiation of dates (2010). Dr. Salah bin Muhammad Abdulaziz Al-Eid's impactful contributions to academia, research, and international collaborations underscore his dedication to advancing the fields of Food Science and Technology.

Emeritus professor, faculty of Agriculture,  professor, Arid Lands Agricultural studies and Research Institute, Ain Shams university

He started his career after graduation from Cairo University, faculty of Agriculture working as assistant researcher in the National Research Center. After being granted the Ph.D. degree, he was appointed as lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the faculty of agriculture, Ain Shams University. His career continued ever since as associate professor, then full professor and head of Horticulture Department, then Emeritus Professor at Ain Shams University till the moment.

Dr. Dinesh Chauhan is the Vice President of Projects and Partnerships at DeHaat, a prominent agri-tech firm in India, serving more than two million farmers. With a remarkable 22-year career in the agriculture and agribusiness sector, Dr. Chauhan has held various high-level positions encompassing academics, consulting, sales, and business development. His expertise spans farm solutions, large-scale modern farming, supply chain management, business development, and structured trade finance.

Dr. Chauhan boasts an impressive educational background with a PhD in Management, an MBA in Agribusiness Management, an MSc in Food Technology, and a BSc in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.

Dr. Stella Despoudi is Senior Lecturer in Food Supply Chain Management & Logistics at the University of Western Macedonia, in Greece. Prior to this Stella has been working for Aston Business School, Coventry University and for Loughborough University’s School of Business & Economics. She holds a PhD in Food Operations and Supply Chain Management from Loughborough University’s School of Business and Economics. 

Stella’s research expertise lies in the following research areas: Circular food supply chains, supply chain resilience, industry 5.0, honey supply chain, food waste and food sustainability. Currently she works on multi-partner projects related to food supply chain resilience, climatic changes, and Industry 5.0. She also works as food supply chain consultant and she is co-owner of a honey processing company called Melizin

Adil Abdelnour is an interdisciplinary scientist and advisor; he works on issues related to water management and environmental policy, specially focused on how to mainstream sustainable agricultural development concepts and applications as related to judicious use of natural resource, sustainable food systems and development of non-conventional water resources.

Dr. Abdelnour works in Saudi Arabia as a consultant at ministry of municipalities, Qassim University and lastly as a technical advisor for the National Research and Development Center (Estidamah). He had been working for some international organizations and private sector companies. His professional interests include environmental policies for sustainable water management, policy research and institutional capacity development for transformation to sustainable management of natural resources. His current interests revolve around water – waste – energy – food nexus.

Dr. Abdelnour delivers many presentations and offer lectures in areas of environmental impacts of unsustainable agricultural practices of Saudi agri-food system, how to shift from resource sufficiency to resource efficiency.

Graduated 2008 from faculty of veterinary medicine. Work in poultry production more than 10 years as poultry consultant. Hold master’s degree in Black solider fly larvae extract. In 2016, he started his journey with breeding insects, especially black soldier fly, where he moved the production from laboratory to the commercial level, founded EGYMAG Biotechnology Company, 1st MENA Biotechnology company, developed indoor Breeding system, Vertical insect protein production Solution (using Black solider fly larvae) less land, water and Energy usage, transforming organic residue to protein and unique organic fertilizers.

Dr. Abdallah Soubhy Ali is currently an Associate professor of Microbiology at Cairo University in Egypt and a scientific team leader at Anhui University of Technology in China. He earned his Bachelor of Biotechnology at Cairo University, Egypt, in 2001, and his M.Sc. in Environmental Microbiology at the same University, in 2007 and his PhD in Microbial Biotechnology from the Technical University of Munich, Germany in 2015. In his thesis work he pioneered the biorefinery and bioconversion of lignocellulosic material to produce high-valuable products and by-products and applied this to study on different agricultural and agro-industrial wastes to get the maximum benefits form these residues with zero waste processes.

Dr Abed Alaswad is an established researcher in sustainable energy systems with a focus on waste to energy techniques. He is the Director of the Engineering for Sustainable Development Research Center at Aston University in the United Kingdom.  He has a track record of leading/ contributing to research projects as funded by (EPSRC, KTP, ETP, GCRF, RAEng) working along with partners from the UK, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. Dr Alaswad is an Editorial Board Member for the Science of the Total Environment (IF: 10.753, Citescore: 14.1) and reviews for the Prestigious Newton Fund Prize.

Dr. Kakoli Ghosh works for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and specializes in sustainable agriculture, agrobiodiversity and food security. She is the Chief Technical Adviser, Sustainable Rural Agriculture Development Program of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where FAO is providing technical and advisory assistance for strengthening agricultural productivity, natural resource management and value addition of commodities for rural development. Dr. Ghosh has extensive experience in dealing with issues and challenges facing agriculture development around the world. Throughout her career, she was based in the FAO Headquarters in Rome, where she held a range of important positions in Plant Production and Protection Division, Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, FAO’s Strategic Program on Sustainable Food and Agriculture and Partnerships and Cooperation Division.

Cecilia Stanghellini, an Italian physicist with a Dutch PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has been working at Wageningen University and Research Centre (the Netherlands) for more than 30 years, on the resource use and management of greenhouses in wet and dry climates. Major topics are: greenhouse climate simulation and management; crop yield and resource use efficiency; economy and environmental impact of greenhouse crops. She is [co]author of more than 300 publications including a recent textbook on greenhouse technology.

She has lead several large international projects, financed by the European Union, governments and large companies in Europe, Latin America, and Africa on the topic of efficient greenhouse vegetable production and capacity building.

Prof. Dr. Nazim Gruda, University of Bonn, Germany, is a globally renowned authority in horticulture. He is Vice-Chair of the Division of Vegetables, Roots, and Tubers within the International Society for Horticultural Science. For his outstanding work, he received the "Dr Heinrich-Baur-Prize", from the Technical University of Munich and the "National Scientific Prize" from the Academy of Science of Albania. His influential research places him in the top 2% of global scientists, according to Stanford University. He is a member, an Honorary Member, and a Correspondent of three European Academies, and a "Distinguished Scientist" of the Academy of Science of China.

Dr. Michael Salvador has over 15 years of experience in basic research and R&D and a proven track record in developing solar technologies, with emphasis on thin-film, flexible photovoltaics. Michael holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Cologne, Germany. Previously, he has held research positions at universities in the USA and Germany, including Caltech, University of Washington, and University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. In 2019 he took on the role as Principal Technology Lead of the KAUST Solar Center. Michael is also the CEO of Mirai Solar, a startup developing renewable energy solutions that capitalizes on the need for shade. During the last three years he has led Mirai Solar from an R&D project into a full-scale startup with manufacturing capabilities and pilot demonstrations. Michael has contributed to several patents for solar devices including those forming the intellectual property of Mirai Solar. 

Prof. Abdullah is currently a Professor of Horticulture in the Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences at King Saud University.  He earned his BSc. From King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with first degree honor, MSc. Degree from the University of California, Davis, CA, USA and PhD degree from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.

 His Professional Experience extend to administrative and academic fields. He is currently a representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Council of the International Society for Horticultural Sciences. He is also amember of the judging committee for the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity in King Abdulaziz and his Companions for Giftedness and Creativity.  He was a board member of the National Center for the Research and Development in Sustainable Agriculture (ISTIDAMAH). He was the founder dean of the College of Scientific and Humanitarian Studies in Alghat City, Almajmaa University.   He was a consultant in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.  He served as a Chairman of the Department of Plant Production,  President, Saudi Society for Agricultural Sciences, Board member of the Saudi Biological Society. Deputy Dean and Dean of the College of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Director of the Agricultural Research and Experiment Station.  He earned Al-Marai Prize for Scientific Innovation / Creative Work in Plant   Production from AlMarai Agricultural Company and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.  He also had the award for outstanding research publication at King Saud University and outstanding reviewer award from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.

He has published more than 110 Arabic and English articles and authored or translated 12 books or book chapters.  He conducted more than 12 research projects and currently working in 3 projects.  He supervised and co- supervised 32 MsC and PhD students in King Saud university and local and international universities.  His main research interests are protected environment agriculture, environmental stress physiology and use of sustainable and renewable energy in food production.

Dr. Jung Eek Son is a professor emeritus and senior researcher at Seoul National University, Republic of Korea. He works for greenhouse horticulture, vertical farm, and smart farming, particularly on recycled soilless culture, canopy photosynthesis modelling, supplemental inter-lighting, light use efficiency, AI and 3D plant modeling. He published about 230 scientific papers and books; and received academic achievement awards and government-level honors. He served presidents of Korean Societies of Horticultural Science, Bio-environmental control, Vertical Farm Research & Industry, and a WG chair of Integrated Production System (ISHS). He was a convener of GreenSys2013 and is a co-convener of LightSym2024 (Korea).

(Affiliation)

Professor emeritus in Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources and Senior researcher in Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Korea.

Muien Qaryouti has obtained his PhD, 2001, from the Jordan University, in horticulture science.

He started his career as a researcher at the National Agricultural Research Centre since 1992, Amman.

He became a Director for the Irrigated Agriculture Research Program during 2004- 2012, and the Director of Horticultural Research between 2012-2016. Qaryouti continued his career as a Director General Assistant for Research, 2016- 2017, and Deputy Director General.

Besides, he was a member and coordinator of the FAO Regional Working Group on Greenhouse Crop Production in the Mediterranean Region, 2006-2012. Member of the international Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS).

Currently, Qaryouti joined NATIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE (ESTIDAMAH) since 2018.

He is expertise is in crop management in protected agriculture, application of different growing media, resilience abiotic stresses, marketing management and international cooperation. 

Professor of Water Resources at the regional Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Bahrain. He serves as the coordinator of the Water Resources Management Graduate Program and the coordinator of the UN Water Learning Center for the Arab Region hosted by the AGU, and serves as a member of the Permanent Advisory Committee of the Water Resources Council in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He obtained his PhD from Colorado State University in 1990 in the field of groundwater systems mathematical modeling. He teaches graduate courses in Hydrogeology and Water Resources Development, Management and Planning in Arid Regions; has published more than 100 research papers in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, conferences, and seminars;, and supervised more than 45 MSc and PhD theses

Prof. Mohamed Ouessar has a doctorate in Applied Biological Sciences (Land management) from the University of Ghent in Belgium. He is currently a senior researcher at the Arid Zone Research Institute (Tunisia).

He has contributed actively to the realization of numerous joint research projects funded by national and international agencies. His research programs focused mainly on water harvesting, GIS based hydrological modeling and decision support systems, impact assessment, watershed management, climate change impacts and adaptation, combating desertification and drylands management.

He contributed also to the training and capacity building through supervision of trainees and students of all levels from national and international centers and organizations and universities

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Dr. Naser Edin Obeid is the Director General of The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands "ACSAD" from 2020 to date. He holds a PhD in agricultural and environmental economics. He held many positions, such as

Assistant Director General of the ACSAD  2014-2020.

Director of Administrative and Financial department at ACSAD, 1996-2020.

Director of the Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in the Syrian Arab Republic 1993-1995.

During his work at ACSAD, he participated in:

Preparing the ten-year strategies of ACSAD, (1998-2008) (2010-2020).

Preparing the annual plans of ACSAD from 1996 to date.

Preparing the Arab strategy for agricultural development for the years 2009-2025, which was approved by the Arab Summit in its 20th session.

Preparing the financial and accounting system for joint Arab action organizations 2000 (League of Arab States). Member of many scientific and technical committees and participated and lectured in tens of regional and international conferences.

He has many scientific publications in the fields of environmental economics and combating desertification. Chief Editor of the Arab Journal of Arid Environments, published by ACSAD.

David Mulla has been the Larson Chair and Professor for Soil & Water Resources in the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota since 1995.  

He received a Ph.D. degree in Agronomy from Purdue University with emphasis in soil physics.

He was a Professor in the Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences from 1983-1995 at Washington State Univ.

Dr. Mulla’s research emphasizes precision agriculture, land management and water quality modeling, ecosystem services, and international agricultural development.

Dr. Mulla is a Fellow in the Soil Science Society of America, and the Agronomy Society of America.

H.E Dr. Abdulaziz Almalik ,Deputy minister for research and innovation for the Ministry for Environment Water and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia

Abdulaziz Almalik is the deputy minister for research and innovation at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia. Prior to joining MEWA, he served as vice-president for scientific research support, vice-president for innovation and technology commercialisation, director of the Life Sciences and Environmental Research Institute, vice-chair of the Scientific Council, and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (2015-23). He was also a senior adviser to the governor and a founding member of the founding team of the Research, Development and Innovation Authority. He has extensive experience in developing and managing national-scale RDI initiatives backed by knowledge of intellectual property generation, acquisition, management and strong academic credentials.

Since 2017, working as Regional Officer for Plant Protection and Production (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the Near East and North Africa Region), he is currently leading the plant protection activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization in the Near East and North Africa.

·       Responsible for guiding FAO's response to regional and national priorities for food security, Pest and Pesticide management, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities in NENA region.

·       Lead the regional and national dialogue with high level authority and planning for the need and implementation of NENA counties for sustainable management and development in food safety and security focusing on plant health and plant production.

·       Lead seed management and genetic resource conservation, as well as, the regional strategy to control Transboundary Plant Pests and Diseases. At the same time, he works for the implementation process of innovative monitoring, early warning, forecasting, rapid response for plant pest and disease.

·       Plan and lead the implementation process of national and regional communication and capacity development to promote sustainable and environmentally sound management and control techniques.

Mr. Yaseen worked for 18 years as a professor of plant pathology at CIHEAM: International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies, Bari Italy, and he obtained a professor's degree at the National Research Institute in Rome - Italy. (Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology). Professor Yaseen has supervised more than 14 doctoral degree and more than 52 master's degrees in disease and pest control science. Professor Yaseen has published more than 124 scientific papers, including 50 papers published in internationally refereed journals, 70 research papers in conference publications, and 6 scientific books.

Aly Abousabaa is CGIAR’s Regional Director, Central and West Asia and North Africa, as well as Director-General of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).
He is a strategic leader in sustainable development, climate change advocacy, and agriculture research in the global dry regions.
Prior to joining CGIAR to head ICARDA, Aly was Vice President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). He led the preparation and execution of the bank’s key strategies in agriculture, water, natural resources management, climate change, infrastructure, women, youth, and governance. Through mobilizing and managing a portfolio of USD 11 billion, his work made a transformational impact on the lives of millions of people across Africa. Aly also helped coordinate climate change negotiations in Africa and acted as Gender Champion. He serves on several international boards such as the board of governors at the Arab Water Council and the Board of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation.

Ms. Yüksel Tüzel graduated from Ege University in 1981 with an MSc degree and received her PhD in in 1989. Between 1983 and 1984 she was employed by the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry and thereafter became Research Assistant at the Faculty of Agriculture of Ege University. She became Associate Professor in 1992. Since 1998 she has been working at the Horticulture Department of the Agricultural Faculty of Ege University as a Full Professor. Prof. Tüzel was a Visiting Scientist at Horticultural Research International in Littlehampton, United Kingdom, April-September 1988, and at Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands, January-June 2012.

Her expertise is in development of vegetable production technologies in greenhouses. She has worked on soilless culture systems, irrigation and fertilization management, abiotic stress response and grafting. In 2000 she started to work on organic greenhouse vegetable production.

Prof. Tüzel has lectured on protected cultivation to undergraduate and postgraduate students. She has supervised Masters and PhD students and conducted international and national projects. She has authored more than 300 scientific articles in SCI journals, national refereed journals, international and national symposia, books and chapters. Prof. Tüzel was the member of FAO Regional Working groups on Protected Cultivation. She served as the ISHS President between 2018 and 2022.

Professor at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). He received a Bachelor’s degree from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, a Master’s degree from King Saud University in 2007, and a Ph.D. in 2013 from Swansea University, UK, in the field of water treatment.

Currently, He leads the Sustainability and Environment Sector at KACST as Vice President of the Sustainability and Environment Sector. Dr. Alkhudhiri held several administrative positions as the manager of the National Center for Nanotechnology, manager of the National Center for Desalination and Water Treatment, and manager of the National Center for Chemical Technologies. Participated as a member of the local expert team in preparing a report on future technologies for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia issued by KACST in 2021. Dr. Alkhudhiri has also carried out many research projects in the field of desalination and water treatment, and he was a member of several water treatment committees.

Maha M. Khayyat is a research professor of physics of semiconductors at the Energy and Industry Sector, King Abdulaziz Cityfor science and Technology (KACST). She received her PhD from Cavendish laboratory, University of Cambridge. She worked at several technically prestigious labs, including Nanoscience Center, Cambridge, T. J.Watson Research Center of IBM, and Center of Clean Water and Energy, Mechanical Engineering Department, MIT.

Dr. Felwa Abdullah Thagfan holds a Ph.D. in parasitology. Her academic journey began with a BSc.in Zoology from Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, followed by a Master of Science in Zoology from King Saud university and subsequent doctoral studies. Her teaching experience spans various levels, including a health education instructor at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, teaching assistant positions at both Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman and King Saud universities, then become an Assistant Professor at biology department at princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman university and later an Associate Professor of Parasitology. Her leadership roles at princess Nourah bint Abdulrhman university include serving as the Former Head of research and innovation unit, Former Head of the Scientific Journals Unit, and Former Managing Editor of Biodiversity Research Journal. Currently, she serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Science at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University.

Dr. Thagfan is a member of the Australian Society for Parasitology. Her published works concentrate on the utilization of natural plants in treating parasitic diseases, notably focusing on the indigenous flora of Saudi Arabia.

He holds a doctorate in analytical chemistry and materials chemistry from Oklahoma State University, USA, in 2006. He works in the field of environmental research and the development of separation technologies. He also works on developing materials with high surface areas for multiple uses in environmental, energy and water research.

The founding supervisor of the Advanced Materials Research Chair and head of the Chromatography Research Group, he supervised 12 master’s students, and 8 doctoral students, and with the participation of his colleagues and students, he published more than 200 research papers published in prestigious international scientific journals, 18 patents, and translated a book specialized in chromatography.

A founding member of the Gulf Chemists Union, he is also a member of the Arab Chemists Union and the Asian Chemists Union.

He received many local, regional and international awards and was ranked among the most cited scientists for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022.

He currently works as Dean, College of Science at KSU and Chairman of Saudi Chemical Society.

 EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: 

• PhD in International Agricultural Development from Tokyo University of Agriculture. Japan. 
• Master of Science Diploma in Plant Breeding from the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies- Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Saragossa (CIHEAM-IAMZ). Spain. 
• Diploma of Specialized Post-Graduate Studies in Plant Breeding from International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies- Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Saragossa. (CIHEAM-IAMZ). Spain. 
• Agricultural Engineer Diploma from Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (IAV Hassan II). Rabat. Morocco 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 

• Chief of Farming at Al Madinah Heritage Company. (2023-Now)
• Agricultural Expert at the National Center for Palms & Dates. Riyadh. (2022-2023) 
• R&D and Projects Manager at Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group). Saudi Arabia and Quality Manager at ASYLA Gum Co Ltd. Senegal (Feb 2020-2022). 
• R&D, Organic project and Quality Manager at Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Saudi Arabia (June 2019-Feb 2020) and Quality Manager at ASYLA Gum Co Ltd. Senegal. Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group) (Feb 2020-Now) • R&D Manager. Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group). Saudi Arabia (2010- June 2019) 
• Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Sciences and Techniques (FST)-University of Kadi Ayyad. Beni Mellal. Morocco (2002-2010) 
• Research scientist at the Biotechnology Unit, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, INRA (National Institute of Agronomic Research). Morocco. Rabat (2008-2010) 
• Manager of the Department of Technical Education, Vocational Training, Research and Development at the Regional Directorate of Agriculture in Tadla. Morocco (2008-2010) 
• Manager of the Regional Department of Certification of Seed and Nurseries. Beni Mellal. Morocco (2000-2008) 
• Controller of seeds and nurseries at the Regional Department of Certification of Seed and Nurseries. Beni Mellal. Morocco (1997-2000) 
• Farm Manager of Haddawi Farms. Larache. Morocco. (1995-1997) 

Woody possesses over 16 years of experience in designing and implementing collaborations in both private and public sector in the areas of outcome-driven transformation, strategic advisory, delivery unit design and activation.

His experience covers organizations in various countries in SE Asia, Middle East, and Africa, and he has previously advised Ministers on National Level initiatives in these countries. 

In NEOM Food, Woody is responsible for building and maintaining synergistic strategic initiatives with key public sector partners, stakeholders, and other entities within the food ecosystem in NEOM and KSA, particularly in the areas of regulations, innovation, research and talent pipeline development."

PhD from Auburn University, Alabama, 2016.

He held a number of administrative positions at King Faisal University and represented the university in the National Dialogue Workshop for Sustainable Food Systems in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as in a workshop for the G20 meeting entitled: Water, Energy and Food. In addition to a number of international conferences, he also worked in a number of committees within the university and at the Kingdom level, and is Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the International Conference on Food Security and Environmental Sustainability. He currently works as an associate professor at King Faisal University and holds the position of Dean of the College of Agricultural and Food Sciences since 2019.

Salim Al-Babili received his PhD from the University Freiburg, Germany. After his PhD, he obtained a Rockefeller Post-Doc fellowship to work on developing “Golden Rice” in the lab of Peter Beyer and in collaboration with Ingo Potrykus. In 2007, he received his Habilitation in Cell Biology at the University of Freiburg and is currently Professor for Plant Scince and Bioengineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. The general objective of his research group, the BioActives lab, is to improve the performance and nutritional value of crops by genetic engineering or through application of growth regulators. His group combines enzymology-based, metabolomics and genetic approaches to elucidate metabolic networks and identify new signaling molecules related to abiotic/biotic stress and plant development, with focus on carotenoid and apocarotenoids. Salim Al-Babili has made essential contributions to engineering crops with enhanced pro-vitamin A content and to elucidating carotenoid/apocarotenoid metabolism in plants and microorganisms. His work on retinal biosynthesis in cyanobcateria led to the first structure elucidation of a carotenoid cleavage oxygenase. Through the discovery of carlactone, his research deciphered the core-pathway in the biosynthesis of the carotenoid-derived plant hormone strigolactone. In the last years, he has been focusing on the identification and biology of novel apocarotenoid growth regulators, which revealed the regulatory metabolite anchorene, and the hormone-candidate zaxinone and an epoxidase-independent route for abscisic acid biosynthesis. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and KAUST, he is currently heading an international consortium to combat the root parasitic plant Striga hermonthica, a major threat to global food security, in sub-Saharan Africa, by using hormone-based approaches based on his basic research. He has several patents and more than 150 peer reviewed papers.

Dr. Zeyad alZeyadi is a highly accomplished biotechnologist and esteemed faculty member at the College of Applied Medical Sciences. With a remarkable career dedicated to research and innovation, he currently holds the distinguished position of General Manager of the General Department of Research and Knowledge at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

Beyond his research achievements, Dr. alZeyadi's impact extends to his advisory role at the Ministry of Health's biosafety committee. As a trusted expert, he provides invaluable guidance on matters pertaining to the safe and ethical application of biotechnology. His unwavering commitment to promoting biosafety measures ensures the responsible utilization of emerging technologies, safeguarding both human welfare and the environment.

Jouke Campen became an engineer in Applied Physics at the Technical University of Delft, specialized in heat and mass transfer. He started working at Wageningen UR in 1997.

His main field of research is energy and climate control in protected horticulture.

Over the years he has become an expert in computational fluid dynamics calculations for greenhouses. He finished his PhD on dehumidification of greenhouses October 2009.

Currently he is the coordinator of the energy program of the ministry of Agriculture in The Netherlands involving annually 7 million EURO of projects on reducing energy use in the Dutch protected horticultural sector.

Aside of this task he is international project manager for the last 10 years working on numerous projects all around the world. 

Prof. Salah El-Hendawy obtained his PhD from the Department of Plant Sciences at the Technical University of Munich, Germany in 2004. He has held various faculty positions in the Agronomy Department at the Faculty of Agriculture at Suez Canal University from Demonstrator to Professor. He was awarded a postdoctoral scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in 2007 and the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) in 2009. Seconded to work as a professor in the Department of Plant Production at the College of Food and Agricultural Sciences - King Saud University in 2012 until now. He has published over 100 research articles in international scientific journals indexed in Q1 and Q2. He has been recognized among the top 2% of scientists worldwide for 2021 and 2022. His research focuses on enhancing irrigation water management and introducing innovative approaches to maximize irrigation water use for field crops in arid and semiarid conditions. Recent efforts have focused on non-destructive methods to accurately assess important traits of drought- and salt-affected genotypes under field conditions (Precision Phenotyping).

Independent consultant & former director of, the Water, Land, and Ecosystems Program, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Formerly, a distinguished professor of agricultural water management at Tottori University in Japan. Since 1991, worked for ICARDA as director, scientist, and research manager.  Earlier, worked for the University of Jordan, as an assistant prof. in irrigation and drainage engineering. Received BSc. degree in agriculture and MSc and Ph.D. in irrigation engineering from Utah State University, Utah, USA. Has over 40 years of experience and leadership in international research and development, capacity building, and agricultural water management. Worked in over 80 countries on implementing projects, training, and mobilizing funds for agricultural water management projects in developing countries. Author of 86 refereed journal publications, 13 books, 34 book chapters, and over 200 proceedings, reports, and awareness publications in the areas of water use efficiency, supplemental irrigation, water harvesting, water productivity, deficit irrigation, salinity, and the management of scarce water resources. Reviewer and member of editorial boards of several refereed journals.

Matthew McCabe is a Professor of Remote Sensing and Water Security and Director of the Climate and Liveability Initiative at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Matthew received his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Newcastle in Australia. Before coming to KAUST in 2012, he held research positions at Princeton University, Los Alamos National Laboratory and was an Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales. His research explores multi-disciplinary issues around water and food security, climate change impacts, precision agriculture, and water resources monitoring and modelling, focusing on the use of novel technologies for enhanced Earth observation and data-model integration. Prof McCabe has published more than 250 research papers and been recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher every year since 2019. He is the Section Chief Editor of Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and an Associate Editor of Remote Sensing. Prof McCabe was the recipient of the 2022 Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water. He is also a co-founder of SarSatX, a Saudi-based satellite and data-analytics company, and was responsible for the launch of Saudi Arabia’s first hyperspectral satellite in 2023. He is the coordinating editor of the recently published “Climate Futures: Saudi Arabia in a 3 degrees warmer world” report.

Dr. Pierre Broun is Director of Climate-Resilient Agriculture at NEOM, overseeing the development of sustainable, innovative and profitable farming systems to support food self-sufficiency at NEOM and food security for the country. 

Before joining NEOM, Dr. Broun held executive positions in the food industry to ensure sustainable agricultural supply, leading plant science and technology in large agri-food companies, including over 10 years as head of plant science at Nestlé. 

Dr. Broun started his career in biotechnology, both in industry and academia. 

He holds a PhD in plant breeding and biometry from Cornell University.

Professor Yakov Kuzyakov worked in various Soil and Environmental Science departments of universities and research institutes worldwide: Germany, USA, UK, Russia, and China. His expertise covers soil ecology, biogeochemistry, rhizosphere processes, C and N cycling, soil degradation, land use and agroecology. Methodical expertise is based on application of stable and radioactive isotopes at natural abundance and labeling. Yakov led research projects in many countries: Germany, China, Korea, Tanzania, Indonesia, Russia, and Chile. Together with his group, Yakov focuses on soil biogeochemistry with long-term and deep expertise for C and N cycles, priming effects, and nutrient mobilization. His special interests are soil-plant-microbial interactions in hotspots. His groundbreaking works are in the fields of rhizodeposition, low molecular weight organic substances, priming effects, visualization of enzyme activities, localization of root exudation. These processes are studied depending on land use and soil degradation, as well as such global change components as warming, drought, elevated CO₂. Yakov group made many innovative studies to pedogenic carbonates, biochar stability, competition of roots and microorganisms for nutrients, microbial metabolism in soil, effects of plant photosynthesis on CO₂ efflux from soil. The applied studies are focused on C sequestration, soil fertility improvements, and reforestation effects. To understand the process mechanisms, Yakov group use a broad range of stable (¹³C, ¹⁵N) and radioactive (¹⁴C, ³²P, ³³P, ¹³⁷Cs) isotopes applications including pioneering position specific labeling and combine these approaches with biomarkers (PLFA, amino sugars, neutral sugars) as well as microbial activity parameters (enzyme and respiratory activities, microbial growth). Yakov is an active member of several editorial boards, for top-ranked journals including Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Land Degradation and Development, Biogeosciences, Rhizosphere, Scientific Reports etc. He was awarded in 2015 the John Waid Award for Best Review Paper in Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 2016 the EGU Outstanding Editor Award etc. Yakov is Visiting Professor and has very close and intensive collaboration with various top universities and research institutes in China.       

Prof. Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Wabel, the driving force behind SBRG, is a well-known Environmental and Soil Scientist with significant contributions to the field of biochar research. Prof. Al-Wabel is an enthusiastic and visionary scientist leading various research projects to synthesize, characterize, and apply biochar to solve the critical issues of soil, environment, and climate. Due to his passion, innovation, and dedication, Prof. Al-Wabel has proved himself a game-changer for biochar research in Saudi Arabia and demonstrated impactful insights into environmental sustainability and carbon management research.

Prof. Mohammad I Al-Wabel works in the Department of Soil Sciences, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (KSU). His prominent research areas are the production of biochar-based low-cost adsorbents for environmental management, monitoring, modelling, soil and environment pollution assessment and remediation, carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation, and revitalization of abandoned soil.

Prof. Mohammad Al-Wabel received his Master's in Soil Sciences from KSU in 1995 and Ph.D. in Soil Chemistry from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA in 2001. He has served as the Chairman of the Department of Soil Sciences at KSU from 2008 to 2012 and from 2017 to 2018. He has also served as the Dean of the Deanship of Scientific Research at KSU from 2018-2022. He has supervised several Master's and Ph.D. theses research. Professor Al-Wabel has published more than 130+ research articles in peer-reviewed national and international journals and more than 8+ book chapters in various books. He has an H-index of 47+ with more than 8200+ citations. He has completed more than 20 research projects as P. I and Co-P.I. in various interdisciplinary subjects. Due to his research contributions, he has been awarded the Research Achievement Award, High-Impact Publication Award, and various other awards. 

Galvanized by the immense importance of biochar, Prof. Al-Wabel founded the SBRG in 2011. Under his leadership, the SBRG hasflourished and became the symbol of innovation in biochar research. Biochar can increase crop productivity by up to 25% by improving nutrient retention of soil by up to 50%, subsequently reducing fertilizer demands. Biochar can sequester substantial amounts of carbon in soil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%. Due to the significant importance of biochar for agriculture, climate, and the environment, the SBRG, under the leadership of Prof. Al-Wabel, is inspiring researchers, environmentalists, industrialists, and policymakers to adopt biochar technology to improve ecosystem health and mitigate climate change for future generations.

Ismail Cakmak earned his PhD at the University Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany, and full Professor at the Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey. Published over 240-peer-reviewed articles, named among the “highly cited researchers” by Clarivate Analytics (Thomson Reuters) and ranked   in the top 0.05 % of most influential scientists in all scientific disciplines in 2022 by Stanford University, based on Elsevier’s Scopus Database.

He has received IFA “International Crop Nutrition Award in 2005, Australian Crawford Fund “Derek Tribe Medal” in 2007, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation-Georg Forster Research Award in 2014, International Plant Nutrition Institute-IPNI Science Prize in 2016 and the World Academy of Sciences-Agricultural Science Prize in 2016.  He is an elected member of “The Academia Europaea” and “The Science Academy” of Turkey.

Joined International Centre for Bio-Saline Agriculture (ICBA), Dubai as Program Leader/section head of the Crop Diversity and Genetics group on 15th Nov 2018 after long stint in rice crop for abiotic stresses. Currently leading the specialized group working on use of suitable cropping solutions for very harsh marginal environments (salty water and soil, drought and high temperature) which is going to be much worsened in future due to climate change. Our major focus in middle east and north Africa (MENA), Central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), besides recent outreach to S and SE Asia as well.

Alanoud Alfagham is an assistant professor in Plant ecology and physiology at King Saud University (KSU). Her research focuses on how the global water shortage affects plant diversity, molecular biology, and physiology. She has published papers in high-impact scientific journals and conferences, and her contribution draws attention to the importance of leaf age consideration in plant drought resistance. She has been learning bioinformatics using advanced computer languages and programs. She aims to contribute to documenting Saudi wheat local cultivars as a highly genetic resource, which could pave the way for improving the physiological response to drought stress in wheat cultivars and informing the breeding programs.

Ali Al Lawati is a scientist in the field of Plant Genetic Resources and crop improvement. Currently, Al Lawati is Assistant Professor in Plant Genetics and Biotechnology in the University of Nizwa. Current, research activity is on the medicinal plants’ conservation and characterization. In addition, Al Lawati is managing the Seed genebank a collaborative project between Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Center and the University of Nizwa.

Al Lawati had BSc. (1990) and MSc. (1998) in Plant Sciences and Environment Sciences, respectively, from Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. he had a Ph.D. (2006) in Agronomy (Plant Breeding and Genetics) and minor in Experimental Statistics from New Mexico State University, U.S.A.

Dr. Ibrahim M. El-Ashmawy, a distinguished pharmacologist, currently holds the position of Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt. Since September 15, 2012, he has been affiliated with the College of Agricultural and Veterinary Medicine at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. He earned a B.V. Med. Sci. with honors in May 1984, followed by an MS in Pharmacology in 1988 and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology in 1991. Throughout his career, Dr. El-Ashmawy has held various positions, starting as a Demonstrator (1984-1988) in the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University. He progressed to become an Assistant Lecturer (1988-1991), Lecturer (1991-1995), Assistant Professor (1995-2000), and eventually a professor (2000- …). His teaching experiences include instructing undergraduate students in Pharmacology and Drug Toxicology. Additionally, he has taught advanced courses in Pharmacology and Toxicology to graduate students, guiding their research projects, and has supervised numerous Master Thesis and Ph.D. Dissertations (23 Master Theses and Ph.D. (10)). Dr. El-Ashmawy's academic and research experiences also extend abroad, where he served as a Visiting Professor at the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany, in 2000. Dr. El-Ashmawy has actively contributed to various scientific projects, partnering in endeavors such as antiviral activity of a newly formulated herbal mixture, therapeutic efficacy of Copper (I) nicotinate, development of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug from blue green algae, and more. Throughout his career, Dr. El-Ashmawy has received numerous awards, honors, and grants, including the State Prize for Scientific Encouragement in Agricultural Sciences (2000), Alexandria University Prize for Scientific Encouragement (2000), Alexandria University Prize for Scientific Excellence (2009), and the State Prize for Scientific Excellence (2010), among others. Dr. El-Ashmawy's contributions extend to conferences, where he has actively participated in both national and international events related to pharmacology and toxicology. His research interests cover a wide scope, including herbal medicine, heavy metals, drug safety assessment, teratology, male fertility, GC/MS analysis, pharmacodynamics, neuromuscular junction, pharmacogenetics, anti-inflammatory and analgesic screenings, and neuropharmacology. With a prolific academic career, Dr. Ibrahim M. El-Ashmawy continues to make significant contributions to the field of pharmacology and veterinary medicine.

Currently he is an Associate professor of Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology at King Saud University, College of Food and Agriculture Science, Plant Production Department.  He got his Engineer in Horticulture (1991) from ESH Chott-Mariem (TUNISIA), Master of Sciences (1993) in Plant Tissue culture and Genetic Engineering from ENSH Versailles (FRANCE), Doctor's degree (Ph.D.) (1998) in plant Biotechnology & cellular and molecular biology from INA-PG Paris Sud University, France.  He worked at INRA-Versailles (France) as Ph.D. Student, at ICGEB-New Delhi for two years as Post-Doc, at Center of Biotechnology of Sfax (Tunisia) for 10 years and from September 2010 to present he works at King Saud University. His Research Interest are Plant Molecular Biology and physiology (Plant Biotechnology, Biopharming, Abiotic stress tolerance), Plant Tissue culture genetic engineering, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), Genomics and Bioinformatics of extremophile plants as a sink for stress tolerant related genes, and Hydroponics/Aeroponics growing systems and Plant Growth-Promoting Microorganisms for Agriculture and Ecological Sustainability.

Hirt studied biochemistry at the Univ. of Cape Town and Vienna where he received his PhD in 1987. After post-doctoral fellowships at the Univ. of Oxford and Wageningen, he became Professor of Genetics at the Univ. of Vienna. In 2007, he was nominated Director of the INRAe Plant Genomics Institute in Paris and of the Center for Desert Agriculture at KAUST in 2014. Hirt has a long standing record on how plants can survive under abiotic or biotic stress conditions (more than 300 publications, h-index 95). His current research is focused on how plants can survive under abiotic or biotic stress conditions by identifying and using beneficial microbes of desert plants

He holds a Ph.D. in two distinct fields—firstly, in Biochemistry from the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, exploring the impact of lead exposure on oxidative stress, and subsequently, in Advanced Biotechnology and Biodiversity from the University of Silesia in Katowice, focusing on the root system development of Hordeum vulgare L. He received his master’s degree in biotechnology and biology and a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Silesia in Katowice. Professionally, he has held roles ranging from Head of Content and Co-Owner at Content Farmers Sp. z o.o. to serving as an Associate Editor at BioAgWorld Digest and a Sales Specialist at Przedsiębiorstwo ARKOP Sp. z o.o. He has experience in internships at renowned institutions globally, and has actively contributed to nine international research grants, authored a patent application, and published several articles in scientific journals and conference materials.

Northern Border University (Arar). Prof. Abdulhakim Bawadekji obtained his degree in Agricultural Sciences (1989-1993) from Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomiques (Montpellier - France). He is an ex-faculty member of, the Department of Horticulture, and ex-director of the edible mushroom research laboratory, the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Aleppo. (Aleppo, Syria). He is a professor at Northern Border University, College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences. He has published over 75 research articles in international scientific. He is a member of the editorial board of many international journals. His research focuses on studying native flora and native fungi of Northern Border Region (Arar - Saudi Arabia). Competing desertification and reforestation of arid zones via improving seedling quality in nurseries using endomycorrhizal inoculation of roots.

Ce Yang is an Associate Professor working on remote sensing for precision agriculture and high-throughput phenotyping at the University of Minnesota, USA. She leads the Agricultural Robotics Lab in the department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering to work on nutrient management, yield prediction and disease detection of staple food crops. The Ag Robotics Lab’s mission is to apply advanced ideas of robotics, remote sensing, data mining and information technology into precision agriculture. The core techniques they use include multispectral/hyperspectral imaging, spectroscopy, machine learning, geographic information system (GIS), digital mapping, biochemical sensing, etc. The tools available for carrying out her research are unmanned aerial vehicle, unmanned ground vehicle, video camera, multispectral camera, hyperspectral camera, DGPS, and various electrical, optical and chemical sensors. Ce Yang obtained her PhD degree in Agricultural Engineering and MS degree in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Florida.

Agricultural Engineer, PhD in Agricultural Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is a Professor at the University of São Paulo (USP), in the Department of Biosystems Engineering, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), in Piracicaba, São Paulo, since 1989, where he coordinates the Precision Agriculture Laboratory. He works at the interface between the area of Agricultural Machinery and Precision Agriculture, especially with crop and soil sensors, spatial variability, yield mapping and site specific application of inputs. He coordinated the Brazilian Congress of Precision Agriculture from its creation in 2004 until 2018

Francelino Rodrigues has been working in precision agriculture and remote sensing since 2004, including in his MSc, PhD and Postdoctoral studies. During his time, he has gained precision agriculture and remote sensing experience in contrasting cropping systems (coffee, sugarcane, cereals) in various countries (Brazil, Australia and Mexico) and at different spatio-temporal scales - from plot experiments towards small and commercial farming systems to regional scale. Before joining Lincoln Agritech in July 2021, he worked for around nine years at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). At CIMMYT he was involved in projects related to maize and wheat high throughput field phenotyping, and precision agriculture and remote sensing techniques applied to crop management at different spatial scales – executing field campaigns in countries in East Africa and South Asia and Mexico

Currently, he is Associate Professor (tenure track), Department of Plant Resources and Environment, Jeju National University, since2022. As well as He is a Member of European Cooperation in Science and Technology since 2022 and he is the CEO of Pytomix Corporation since 2021. He is Assistant Professor (tenure track), Department of Plant Resources and Environment, Jeju National University, 2018-2022. He worked on Plant Breeding and Genetics using conventional and modern methods with phenomics. He did Postdoctoral Research Associate, Plant Sciences Institute, Iowa State University, 2014-2016 with the Advisor: Professor Patrick Schnable. Develop field-based high throughput phenotyping system for corn using time lapse as a Project Lead. He Established multidisciplinary collaborations with several ISU departments and private company.

Prof. Dr. Khalid A. Al-Gaadi: Received a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from Colorado State University, USA, in 1998.  Currently working as a Full Professor in the Department of Agricultural Engineering in King Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).  His research interests include Agricultural Power and Machinery, with focus on Precision Agriculture (PA).  Established the Precision Agriculture Research Chair (PARC) in 2009 and currently working as the Chair Director.  He is the representative of KSA in the International Society for Precision Agriculture and is a member of many international and local scientific societies.  He has published more than 75 scientific papers in refereed scientific journals and participated in more than 25 international scientific conferences related to his research interests. Prof. Al-Gaadi is a co-researcher for a number of current and previous research funded projects.  He supervised a number of graduate students in the field of PA and agricultural machinery. 

Scientist (Seed and rangeland ecology), International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), ICARDA-UAE country manager and Arabian Peninsula Regional Program Coordinator. Seed technologist and Rangeland Ecologist with a PhD degree from the Wageningen University, the Netherlands.  35 years of experience working on seed science and technology and rangeland monitoring, restoration, and management, and community-based rehabilitation. Currently the Manager of the ICARDA United Arab Emirates Office and the Arabian Peninsula Regional Program. With a track record in leadership and program management at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), he currently works as the ICARDA UAE Office Manager and Coordinator of the ICARDA Arabian Peninsula Regional Program since 2020. Since 2022, he also led the ICARDA component of the One CGIAR Initiative on Nature Positive Solutions in Agriculture. From 2016 to 2021, he actively participated in implementing the seed system development and diversification component of the CRP-Wheat and coordinated the Iran-ICARDA food security project. Earlier, he led the ICARDA International Nurseries Program from 2007 to 2016 and led the seed component of the Water Productivity Improvement of Cereals and Food Legumes Challenge Program in the Atbara Basin of Eritrea from 2008 to 2010.

Dr. Essam holds a Bachelor degree in Chemistry from King Saud University, a Master degree in Physical Chemistry from Manchester University in UK and a PhD degree in Thermo-Chemistry from Leeds University in UK.

Dr. Essam is a Research Fellow at SABIC Agri Nutrients Company.  He has been holding the position of Senior Manager for Agri Nutrients Technology & Innovation (T&I) Specialty department since 2016. Prior to this, he has been holding many management positions within SABIC T&I.

Dr Zainab Oyetunde-Usman is a Research Social Scientist with background in agricultural and behavioural economics. She completed her Ph.D. at the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich and her research interestingly focused on the Impact and behavioural analysis of the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among farm households in developing countries using various adoption probabilities, impact, and behavioural analysis techniques. She currently works at the Net-Zero and Resilient Farming Department at Rothamsted Research, UK, contributing to the social advancement of improved techniques for tackling climate issues. Her research aims are tailored to providing evidence-based policy intervention that increases resilience and minimises the farming population's vulnerability

Ashok Kumar Are obtained his Ph D from Division of Genetics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and completed certification courses in Data-driven decisions, Product Management and Leading the Organization from the Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Queensland. Currently he is working as Director, a.i. Regional Program –Asia, Cluster Leader – Seed systems, and Product Placement Lead -Asia at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semiarid Tropics (ICRISAT), India. He has >23 years of research experience in genetics, plant breeding for developing improved breeding processes and market-preferred cultivars in various crops, particularly the sorghum and castor that resulted in release of more than 100 cultivars in 15 countries. Deploying data-driven decisions in breeding is one of the core areas of his work. Since 2006, his major focus is on modernizing the breeding programs, developing innovative approaches that enhance rate of genetic gain in crops for various end uses and in developing innovative seed systems for rapid replacement of farmers’ varieties. He is currently providing vision and operational plans for the Regional Program -Asia that works with three global research programs at ICRISAT in co-designing and co-creation of new knowledge, products and technologies and their dissemination. He led the projects on biofortifying sorghum with higher grain Zn and Fe and developing sorghums amenable for first (1G) and second generation (2G) bioenergy production besides forage sorghum. He served as an International Consultant to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the UN in Sudan, Namibia, and Austria. He has guided 10 Ph D students and published 98 journal articles, 45 book chapters, 50 conference papers and co-authored 8 books.

Dato’ Dr Mohamad Zabawi expertise includes soil science (soil conservation), agroecological zonation, climate change, green technology, and water stress physiology. Dato’ Dr Mohamad Zabawi obtained his PhD in Water Stress Physiology and MSc in Tropical Agriculture from The Reading Unversity in 2006 and 1993, and his BSc in Agriculture Science (Major in Soil Physic and Conservation) from Universiti Putra Malaysia in 1988. He is the Chairman of the vulnerability and adaptation of agriculture to climate change for the Third National Communication. He is also a member for Academy of Sciences Malaysia Water and Climate Change Task Force, committee member for Research and Innovation in Green Technology and Climate Change, committee member for Adaptation in Green Technology and Climate Change.

Josef Soukup is a Professor and Head of the Department of Agroecology and Crop Production at the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic. He currently serves as the Dean of that Faculty. He has established and lead a local weed research group with extensive collaborations with leading domestic and international research institutions, industry, and farmer´s associations. His recent research areas are the herbicide resistance, herbicide tolerant crops and co-existence of GM and non-GM cropping systems. His group is steadily involved in many research projects financially supported by different grant agencies and industry. Josef Soukup serves as President of the European Weed Research Society in 2022-2023 and maintains networking with other weed science and crop protection societies. 

Dr. Johan A. Stenberg is a Professor in Integrated Plant Protection and Director of the SLU Center for Biological Control.

Dr. Mudasir Gani is working as Assistant Professor at Division of Entomology, Faculty of Horticulture, SKUAST-K, Shalimar, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India. He had completed Ph.D. Entomology from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir India and Post-Doc from Institute for Biological Control, Julius Kuhn Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Germany. He has a very good experience on mass rearing techniques of insect parasitoids and predators - their field evaluation and impact assessment; host-pathogen interactions and molecular aspects of entomology. He has guided 07 Masters student’s and co-guided 3 doctoral students in the discipline of Agricultural Entomology. He has published more than 25 research papers in high impact factor journals in the discipline of Entomology in general and insect pathology in particular.

Hessel van der Heide is a Technical Researcher Entomology at the business unit Greenhouse Horticulture part of Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands. He specializes in biological control of pests in greenhouse crops, varying from food crops to (cut)flowers. He has worked on a wide variety of pests, including stinkbugs, aphids, thrips, whiteflies, and others. In addition to pests, he has also worked with various biological control agents, supplementary foods to create so called “standing armies” of biological control agents and predatory mites. Currently he works a lot on banker plant systems to get an early establishment of biological control agents or to support biological control agents to establish under suboptimal conditions.

Dr. Luma Al -Banna is a Professor in the Department of Plant Protection, School of Agriculture, University of Jordan since 1996. She received a B.S. in Plant Production and Plant Protection from University of Jordan in 1981 and her M.S. & Ph.D. in Plant Pathology/Nematology from University of California, Davis, in 1992 and 1996, respectively.  Formerly, Al-Banna served as the department head of Plant Protection and at present, she is the Assistant Dean for Alumni Affairs at the School of Agriculture, University of Jordan. She is currently appointed as an ambassador of University of Bonn, Germany in Jordan.  Her areas of research interests include nematode systematics, epidemiology, and management of plant diseases. Luma was a visiting Scientist at UC Davis, UC Riverside, and University of Bonn. Al-Banna has published numerous articles and manuscripts in several international journals, including Australasian Plant Pathology, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Crop Protection, Journal of Nematology, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Nematologia Mediterrenea, Phytopathologia Mediterranea, and Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. She has supervised/co-supervised 12 MSc students, 5 PhD students, and teaches courses in plant pathology/nematology at the undergraduate and graduate levels for almost 27 years at the University of Jordan.

Abdo Hassoun is the founder of Sustainable AgriFoodtech Innovation & Research (SAFIR), a non-profit research organization that works in collaboration with other notable partners to contribute to addressing food sustainability issues and making food healthier and more affordable. He completed his Ph.D. in 2016 in France and carried out his postdoctoral research work at the Norwegian Food Research Institute (Nofima). Dr. Hassoun has also experience from the University of the Littoral Opal Coast in France (ULCO). He has been among the first researchers who have explored the potential of Industry 4.0 and emerging technologies in agriculture and the food industry. He serves as an Editorial Board Member and Guest Editor of several international journals and has contributed to numerous scientific publications.

Dr. Salah bin Muhammad Abdulaziz Al-Eid is currently a Professor of Food Science and Technology at the College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University. He holds a Ph.D. in Grain Science and Technology from Kansas State University in the USA. Dr. Al-Eid's extensive contributions and publication, exceeds fifty research papers. Additionally, he holds three granted US patents. His commitment to excellence in scientific research has been recognized through the prestigious Al-Marai Scientific Creativity Award. In terms of leadership and governance, Dr. Al-Eid is an esteemed member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority since 2021. He also contributes to the agricultural sector as a member of the Board of Directors of the Agricultural Development Fund, a role he has held since 2020. Furthermore, he is a board member of the Research Excellence Center for Palm and Dates at King Faisal University since 2022. Internationally, Dr. Al-Eid has engaged in collaborative research projects with esteemed institutions. Notable among these is his collaboration with Inner Mongolia Agricultural University in China, focusing on the potential of fresh and fermented camel milk as a source of probiotics (2022 – 2024). His international collaborations also include partnerships with the University of Lorraine and the Higher Agricultural Institute in France, where he worked on the production of the antibiotic Streptomycin from dates using fermentation technology (2013 – 2018). Additionally, he collaborated with Michigan State University in the USA on projects related to biofuel production from dates (2012-2014) and X-ray irradiation of dates (2010). Dr. Salah bin Muhammad Abdulaziz Al-Eid's impactful contributions to academia, research, and international collaborations underscore his dedication to advancing the fields of Food Science and Technology.

Emeritus professor, faculty of Agriculture,  professor, Arid Lands Agricultural studies and Research Institute, Ain Shams university

He started his career after graduation from Cairo University, faculty of Agriculture working as assistant researcher in the National Research Center. After being granted the Ph.D. degree, he was appointed as lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the faculty of agriculture, Ain Shams University. His career continued ever since as associate professor, then full professor and head of Horticulture Department, then Emeritus Professor at Ain Shams University till the moment.

Dr. Dinesh Chauhan is the Vice President of Projects and Partnerships at DeHaat, a prominent agri-tech firm in India, serving more than two million farmers. With a remarkable 22-year career in the agriculture and agribusiness sector, Dr. Chauhan has held various high-level positions encompassing academics, consulting, sales, and business development. His expertise spans farm solutions, large-scale modern farming, supply chain management, business development, and structured trade finance.

Dr. Chauhan boasts an impressive educational background with a PhD in Management, an MBA in Agribusiness Management, an MSc in Food Technology, and a BSc in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.

Dr. Stella Despoudi is Senior Lecturer in Food Supply Chain Management & Logistics at the University of Western Macedonia, in Greece. Prior to this Stella has been working for Aston Business School, Coventry University and for Loughborough University’s School of Business & Economics. She holds a PhD in Food Operations and Supply Chain Management from Loughborough University’s School of Business and Economics. 

Stella’s research expertise lies in the following research areas: Circular food supply chains, supply chain resilience, industry 5.0, honey supply chain, food waste and food sustainability. Currently she works on multi-partner projects related to food supply chain resilience, climatic changes, and Industry 5.0. She also works as food supply chain consultant and she is co-owner of a honey processing company called Melizin

Adil Abdelnour is an interdisciplinary scientist and advisor; he works on issues related to water management and environmental policy, specially focused on how to mainstream sustainable agricultural development concepts and applications as related to judicious use of natural resource, sustainable food systems and development of non-conventional water resources.

Dr. Abdelnour works in Saudi Arabia as a consultant at ministry of municipalities, Qassim University and lastly as a technical advisor for the National Research and Development Center (Estidamah). He had been working for some international organizations and private sector companies. His professional interests include environmental policies for sustainable water management, policy research and institutional capacity development for transformation to sustainable management of natural resources. His current interests revolve around water – waste – energy – food nexus.

Dr. Abdelnour delivers many presentations and offer lectures in areas of environmental impacts of unsustainable agricultural practices of Saudi agri-food system, how to shift from resource sufficiency to resource efficiency.

Graduated 2008 from faculty of veterinary medicine. Work in poultry production more than 10 years as poultry consultant. Hold master’s degree in Black solider fly larvae extract. In 2016, he started his journey with breeding insects, especially black soldier fly, where he moved the production from laboratory to the commercial level, founded EGYMAG Biotechnology Company, 1st MENA Biotechnology company, developed indoor Breeding system, Vertical insect protein production Solution (using Black solider fly larvae) less land, water and Energy usage, transforming organic residue to protein and unique organic fertilizers.

Dr. Abdallah Soubhy Ali is currently an Associate professor of Microbiology at Cairo University in Egypt and a scientific team leader at Anhui University of Technology in China. He earned his Bachelor of Biotechnology at Cairo University, Egypt, in 2001, and his M.Sc. in Environmental Microbiology at the same University, in 2007 and his PhD in Microbial Biotechnology from the Technical University of Munich, Germany in 2015. In his thesis work he pioneered the biorefinery and bioconversion of lignocellulosic material to produce high-valuable products and by-products and applied this to study on different agricultural and agro-industrial wastes to get the maximum benefits form these residues with zero waste processes.

Dr Abed Alaswad is an established researcher in sustainable energy systems with a focus on waste to energy techniques. He is the Director of the Engineering for Sustainable Development Research Center at Aston University in the United Kingdom.  He has a track record of leading/ contributing to research projects as funded by (EPSRC, KTP, ETP, GCRF, RAEng) working along with partners from the UK, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. Dr Alaswad is an Editorial Board Member for the Science of the Total Environment (IF: 10.753, Citescore: 14.1) and reviews for the Prestigious Newton Fund Prize.

Dr. Kakoli Ghosh works for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and specializes in sustainable agriculture, agrobiodiversity and food security. She is the Chief Technical Adviser, Sustainable Rural Agriculture Development Program of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where FAO is providing technical and advisory assistance for strengthening agricultural productivity, natural resource management and value addition of commodities for rural development. Dr. Ghosh has extensive experience in dealing with issues and challenges facing agriculture development around the world. Throughout her career, she was based in the FAO Headquarters in Rome, where she held a range of important positions in Plant Production and Protection Division, Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, FAO’s Strategic Program on Sustainable Food and Agriculture and Partnerships and Cooperation Division.

Cecilia Stanghellini, an Italian physicist with a Dutch PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has been working at Wageningen University and Research Centre (the Netherlands) for more than 30 years, on the resource use and management of greenhouses in wet and dry climates. Major topics are: greenhouse climate simulation and management; crop yield and resource use efficiency; economy and environmental impact of greenhouse crops. She is [co]author of more than 300 publications including a recent textbook on greenhouse technology.

She has lead several large international projects, financed by the European Union, governments and large companies in Europe, Latin America, and Africa on the topic of efficient greenhouse vegetable production and capacity building.

Prof. Dr. Nazim Gruda, University of Bonn, Germany, is a globally renowned authority in horticulture. He is Vice-Chair of the Division of Vegetables, Roots, and Tubers within the International Society for Horticultural Science. For his outstanding work, he received the "Dr Heinrich-Baur-Prize", from the Technical University of Munich and the "National Scientific Prize" from the Academy of Science of Albania. His influential research places him in the top 2% of global scientists, according to Stanford University. He is a member, an Honorary Member, and a Correspondent of three European Academies, and a "Distinguished Scientist" of the Academy of Science of China.

Dr. Michael Salvador has over 15 years of experience in basic research and R&D and a proven track record in developing solar technologies, with emphasis on thin-film, flexible photovoltaics. Michael holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Cologne, Germany. Previously, he has held research positions at universities in the USA and Germany, including Caltech, University of Washington, and University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. In 2019 he took on the role as Principal Technology Lead of the KAUST Solar Center. Michael is also the CEO of Mirai Solar, a startup developing renewable energy solutions that capitalizes on the need for shade. During the last three years he has led Mirai Solar from an R&D project into a full-scale startup with manufacturing capabilities and pilot demonstrations. Michael has contributed to several patents for solar devices including those forming the intellectual property of Mirai Solar. 

Prof. Abdullah is currently a Professor of Horticulture in the Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences at King Saud University.  He earned his BSc. From King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with first degree honor, MSc. Degree from the University of California, Davis, CA, USA and PhD degree from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.

 His Professional Experience extend to administrative and academic fields. He is currently a representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Council of the International Society for Horticultural Sciences. He is also amember of the judging committee for the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity in King Abdulaziz and his Companions for Giftedness and Creativity.  He was a board member of the National Center for the Research and Development in Sustainable Agriculture (ISTIDAMAH). He was the founder dean of the College of Scientific and Humanitarian Studies in Alghat City, Almajmaa University.   He was a consultant in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.  He served as a Chairman of the Department of Plant Production,  President, Saudi Society for Agricultural Sciences, Board member of the Saudi Biological Society. Deputy Dean and Dean of the College of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Director of the Agricultural Research and Experiment Station.  He earned Al-Marai Prize for Scientific Innovation / Creative Work in Plant   Production from AlMarai Agricultural Company and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.  He also had the award for outstanding research publication at King Saud University and outstanding reviewer award from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.

He has published more than 110 Arabic and English articles and authored or translated 12 books or book chapters.  He conducted more than 12 research projects and currently working in 3 projects.  He supervised and co- supervised 32 MsC and PhD students in King Saud university and local and international universities.  His main research interests are protected environment agriculture, environmental stress physiology and use of sustainable and renewable energy in food production.

Dr. Jung Eek Son is a professor emeritus and senior researcher at Seoul National University, Republic of Korea. He works for greenhouse horticulture, vertical farm, and smart farming, particularly on recycled soilless culture, canopy photosynthesis modelling, supplemental inter-lighting, light use efficiency, AI and 3D plant modeling. He published about 230 scientific papers and books; and received academic achievement awards and government-level honors. He served presidents of Korean Societies of Horticultural Science, Bio-environmental control, Vertical Farm Research & Industry, and a WG chair of Integrated Production System (ISHS). He was a convener of GreenSys2013 and is a co-convener of LightSym2024 (Korea).

(Affiliation)

Professor emeritus in Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources and Senior researcher in Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Korea.

Muien Qaryouti has obtained his PhD, 2001, from the Jordan University, in horticulture science.

He started his career as a researcher at the National Agricultural Research Centre since 1992, Amman.

He became a Director for the Irrigated Agriculture Research Program during 2004- 2012, and the Director of Horticultural Research between 2012-2016. Qaryouti continued his career as a Director General Assistant for Research, 2016- 2017, and Deputy Director General.

Besides, he was a member and coordinator of the FAO Regional Working Group on Greenhouse Crop Production in the Mediterranean Region, 2006-2012. Member of the international Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS).

Currently, Qaryouti joined NATIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE (ESTIDAMAH) since 2018.

He is expertise is in crop management in protected agriculture, application of different growing media, resilience abiotic stresses, marketing management and international cooperation. 

Professor of Water Resources at the regional Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Bahrain. He serves as the coordinator of the Water Resources Management Graduate Program and the coordinator of the UN Water Learning Center for the Arab Region hosted by the AGU, and serves as a member of the Permanent Advisory Committee of the Water Resources Council in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He obtained his PhD from Colorado State University in 1990 in the field of groundwater systems mathematical modeling. He teaches graduate courses in Hydrogeology and Water Resources Development, Management and Planning in Arid Regions; has published more than 100 research papers in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, conferences, and seminars;, and supervised more than 45 MSc and PhD theses

Prof. Mohamed Ouessar has a doctorate in Applied Biological Sciences (Land management) from the University of Ghent in Belgium. He is currently a senior researcher at the Arid Zone Research Institute (Tunisia).

He has contributed actively to the realization of numerous joint research projects funded by national and international agencies. His research programs focused mainly on water harvesting, GIS based hydrological modeling and decision support systems, impact assessment, watershed management, climate change impacts and adaptation, combating desertification and drylands management.

He contributed also to the training and capacity building through supervision of trainees and students of all levels from national and international centers and organizations and universities

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Dr. Naser Edin Obeid is the Director General of The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands "ACSAD" from 2020 to date. He holds a PhD in agricultural and environmental economics. He held many positions, such as

Assistant Director General of the ACSAD  2014-2020.

Director of Administrative and Financial department at ACSAD, 1996-2020.

Director of the Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in the Syrian Arab Republic 1993-1995.

During his work at ACSAD, he participated in:

Preparing the ten-year strategies of ACSAD, (1998-2008) (2010-2020).

Preparing the annual plans of ACSAD from 1996 to date.

Preparing the Arab strategy for agricultural development for the years 2009-2025, which was approved by the Arab Summit in its 20th session.

Preparing the financial and accounting system for joint Arab action organizations 2000 (League of Arab States). Member of many scientific and technical committees and participated and lectured in tens of regional and international conferences.

He has many scientific publications in the fields of environmental economics and combating desertification. Chief Editor of the Arab Journal of Arid Environments, published by ACSAD.

David Mulla has been the Larson Chair and Professor for Soil & Water Resources in the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota since 1995.  

He received a Ph.D. degree in Agronomy from Purdue University with emphasis in soil physics.

He was a Professor in the Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences from 1983-1995 at Washington State Univ.

Dr. Mulla’s research emphasizes precision agriculture, land management and water quality modeling, ecosystem services, and international agricultural development.

Dr. Mulla is a Fellow in the Soil Science Society of America, and the Agronomy Society of America.

H.E Dr. Abdulaziz Almalik ,Deputy minister for research and innovation for the Ministry for Environment Water and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia

Abdulaziz Almalik is the deputy minister for research and innovation at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia. Prior to joining MEWA, he served as vice-president for scientific research support, vice-president for innovation and technology commercialisation, director of the Life Sciences and Environmental Research Institute, vice-chair of the Scientific Council, and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (2015-23). He was also a senior adviser to the governor and a founding member of the founding team of the Research, Development and Innovation Authority. He has extensive experience in developing and managing national-scale RDI initiatives backed by knowledge of intellectual property generation, acquisition, management and strong academic credentials.

Since 2017, working as Regional Officer for Plant Protection and Production (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the Near East and North Africa Region), he is currently leading the plant protection activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization in the Near East and North Africa.

·       Responsible for guiding FAO's response to regional and national priorities for food security, Pest and Pesticide management, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities in NENA region.

·       Lead the regional and national dialogue with high level authority and planning for the need and implementation of NENA counties for sustainable management and development in food safety and security focusing on plant health and plant production.

·       Lead seed management and genetic resource conservation, as well as, the regional strategy to control Transboundary Plant Pests and Diseases. At the same time, he works for the implementation process of innovative monitoring, early warning, forecasting, rapid response for plant pest and disease.

·       Plan and lead the implementation process of national and regional communication and capacity development to promote sustainable and environmentally sound management and control techniques.

Mr. Yaseen worked for 18 years as a professor of plant pathology at CIHEAM: International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies, Bari Italy, and he obtained a professor's degree at the National Research Institute in Rome - Italy. (Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology). Professor Yaseen has supervised more than 14 doctoral degree and more than 52 master's degrees in disease and pest control science. Professor Yaseen has published more than 124 scientific papers, including 50 papers published in internationally refereed journals, 70 research papers in conference publications, and 6 scientific books.

Aly Abousabaa is CGIAR’s Regional Director, Central and West Asia and North Africa, as well as Director-General of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).
He is a strategic leader in sustainable development, climate change advocacy, and agriculture research in the global dry regions.
Prior to joining CGIAR to head ICARDA, Aly was Vice President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). He led the preparation and execution of the bank’s key strategies in agriculture, water, natural resources management, climate change, infrastructure, women, youth, and governance. Through mobilizing and managing a portfolio of USD 11 billion, his work made a transformational impact on the lives of millions of people across Africa. Aly also helped coordinate climate change negotiations in Africa and acted as Gender Champion. He serves on several international boards such as the board of governors at the Arab Water Council and the Board of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation.

Ms. Yüksel Tüzel graduated from Ege University in 1981 with an MSc degree and received her PhD in in 1989. Between 1983 and 1984 she was employed by the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry and thereafter became Research Assistant at the Faculty of Agriculture of Ege University. She became Associate Professor in 1992. Since 1998 she has been working at the Horticulture Department of the Agricultural Faculty of Ege University as a Full Professor. Prof. Tüzel was a Visiting Scientist at Horticultural Research International in Littlehampton, United Kingdom, April-September 1988, and at Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands, January-June 2012.

Her expertise is in development of vegetable production technologies in greenhouses. She has worked on soilless culture systems, irrigation and fertilization management, abiotic stress response and grafting. In 2000 she started to work on organic greenhouse vegetable production.

Prof. Tüzel has lectured on protected cultivation to undergraduate and postgraduate students. She has supervised Masters and PhD students and conducted international and national projects. She has authored more than 300 scientific articles in SCI journals, national refereed journals, international and national symposia, books and chapters. Prof. Tüzel was the member of FAO Regional Working groups on Protected Cultivation. She served as the ISHS President between 2018 and 2022.

Professor at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). He received a Bachelor’s degree from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, a Master’s degree from King Saud University in 2007, and a Ph.D. in 2013 from Swansea University, UK, in the field of water treatment.

Currently, He leads the Sustainability and Environment Sector at KACST as Vice President of the Sustainability and Environment Sector. Dr. Alkhudhiri held several administrative positions as the manager of the National Center for Nanotechnology, manager of the National Center for Desalination and Water Treatment, and manager of the National Center for Chemical Technologies. Participated as a member of the local expert team in preparing a report on future technologies for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia issued by KACST in 2021. Dr. Alkhudhiri has also carried out many research projects in the field of desalination and water treatment, and he was a member of several water treatment committees.

Maha M. Khayyat is a research professor of physics of semiconductors at the Energy and Industry Sector, King Abdulaziz Cityfor science and Technology (KACST). She received her PhD from Cavendish laboratory, University of Cambridge. She worked at several technically prestigious labs, including Nanoscience Center, Cambridge, T. J.Watson Research Center of IBM, and Center of Clean Water and Energy, Mechanical Engineering Department, MIT.

Dr. Felwa Abdullah Thagfan holds a Ph.D. in parasitology. Her academic journey began with a BSc.in Zoology from Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, followed by a Master of Science in Zoology from King Saud university and subsequent doctoral studies. Her teaching experience spans various levels, including a health education instructor at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, teaching assistant positions at both Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman and King Saud universities, then become an Assistant Professor at biology department at princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman university and later an Associate Professor of Parasitology. Her leadership roles at princess Nourah bint Abdulrhman university include serving as the Former Head of research and innovation unit, Former Head of the Scientific Journals Unit, and Former Managing Editor of Biodiversity Research Journal. Currently, she serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Science at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University.

Dr. Thagfan is a member of the Australian Society for Parasitology. Her published works concentrate on the utilization of natural plants in treating parasitic diseases, notably focusing on the indigenous flora of Saudi Arabia.

He holds a doctorate in analytical chemistry and materials chemistry from Oklahoma State University, USA, in 2006. He works in the field of environmental research and the development of separation technologies. He also works on developing materials with high surface areas for multiple uses in environmental, energy and water research.

The founding supervisor of the Advanced Materials Research Chair and head of the Chromatography Research Group, he supervised 12 master’s students, and 8 doctoral students, and with the participation of his colleagues and students, he published more than 200 research papers published in prestigious international scientific journals, 18 patents, and translated a book specialized in chromatography.

A founding member of the Gulf Chemists Union, he is also a member of the Arab Chemists Union and the Asian Chemists Union.

He received many local, regional and international awards and was ranked among the most cited scientists for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022.

He currently works as Dean, College of Science at KSU and Chairman of Saudi Chemical Society.

 EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: 

• PhD in International Agricultural Development from Tokyo University of Agriculture. Japan. 
• Master of Science Diploma in Plant Breeding from the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies- Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Saragossa (CIHEAM-IAMZ). Spain. 
• Diploma of Specialized Post-Graduate Studies in Plant Breeding from International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies- Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Saragossa. (CIHEAM-IAMZ). Spain. 
• Agricultural Engineer Diploma from Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (IAV Hassan II). Rabat. Morocco 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 

• Chief of Farming at Al Madinah Heritage Company. (2023-Now)
• Agricultural Expert at the National Center for Palms & Dates. Riyadh. (2022-2023) 
• R&D and Projects Manager at Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group). Saudi Arabia and Quality Manager at ASYLA Gum Co Ltd. Senegal (Feb 2020-2022). 
• R&D, Organic project and Quality Manager at Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Saudi Arabia (June 2019-Feb 2020) and Quality Manager at ASYLA Gum Co Ltd. Senegal. Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group) (Feb 2020-Now) • R&D Manager. Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group). Saudi Arabia (2010- June 2019) 
• Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Sciences and Techniques (FST)-University of Kadi Ayyad. Beni Mellal. Morocco (2002-2010) 
• Research scientist at the Biotechnology Unit, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, INRA (National Institute of Agronomic Research). Morocco. Rabat (2008-2010) 
• Manager of the Department of Technical Education, Vocational Training, Research and Development at the Regional Directorate of Agriculture in Tadla. Morocco (2008-2010) 
• Manager of the Regional Department of Certification of Seed and Nurseries. Beni Mellal. Morocco (2000-2008) 
• Controller of seeds and nurseries at the Regional Department of Certification of Seed and Nurseries. Beni Mellal. Morocco (1997-2000) 
• Farm Manager of Haddawi Farms. Larache. Morocco. (1995-1997) 

Woody possesses over 16 years of experience in designing and implementing collaborations in both private and public sector in the areas of outcome-driven transformation, strategic advisory, delivery unit design and activation.

His experience covers organizations in various countries in SE Asia, Middle East, and Africa, and he has previously advised Ministers on National Level initiatives in these countries. 

In NEOM Food, Woody is responsible for building and maintaining synergistic strategic initiatives with key public sector partners, stakeholders, and other entities within the food ecosystem in NEOM and KSA, particularly in the areas of regulations, innovation, research and talent pipeline development."

PhD from Auburn University, Alabama, 2016.

He held a number of administrative positions at King Faisal University and represented the university in the National Dialogue Workshop for Sustainable Food Systems in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as in a workshop for the G20 meeting entitled: Water, Energy and Food. In addition to a number of international conferences, he also worked in a number of committees within the university and at the Kingdom level, and is Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the International Conference on Food Security and Environmental Sustainability. He currently works as an associate professor at King Faisal University and holds the position of Dean of the College of Agricultural and Food Sciences since 2019.

Salim Al-Babili received his PhD from the University Freiburg, Germany. After his PhD, he obtained a Rockefeller Post-Doc fellowship to work on developing “Golden Rice” in the lab of Peter Beyer and in collaboration with Ingo Potrykus. In 2007, he received his Habilitation in Cell Biology at the University of Freiburg and is currently Professor for Plant Scince and Bioengineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. The general objective of his research group, the BioActives lab, is to improve the performance and nutritional value of crops by genetic engineering or through application of growth regulators. His group combines enzymology-based, metabolomics and genetic approaches to elucidate metabolic networks and identify new signaling molecules related to abiotic/biotic stress and plant development, with focus on carotenoid and apocarotenoids. Salim Al-Babili has made essential contributions to engineering crops with enhanced pro-vitamin A content and to elucidating carotenoid/apocarotenoid metabolism in plants and microorganisms. His work on retinal biosynthesis in cyanobcateria led to the first structure elucidation of a carotenoid cleavage oxygenase. Through the discovery of carlactone, his research deciphered the core-pathway in the biosynthesis of the carotenoid-derived plant hormone strigolactone. In the last years, he has been focusing on the identification and biology of novel apocarotenoid growth regulators, which revealed the regulatory metabolite anchorene, and the hormone-candidate zaxinone and an epoxidase-independent route for abscisic acid biosynthesis. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and KAUST, he is currently heading an international consortium to combat the root parasitic plant Striga hermonthica, a major threat to global food security, in sub-Saharan Africa, by using hormone-based approaches based on his basic research. He has several patents and more than 150 peer reviewed papers.

Dr. Zeyad alZeyadi is a highly accomplished biotechnologist and esteemed faculty member at the College of Applied Medical Sciences. With a remarkable career dedicated to research and innovation, he currently holds the distinguished position of General Manager of the General Department of Research and Knowledge at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

Beyond his research achievements, Dr. alZeyadi's impact extends to his advisory role at the Ministry of Health's biosafety committee. As a trusted expert, he provides invaluable guidance on matters pertaining to the safe and ethical application of biotechnology. His unwavering commitment to promoting biosafety measures ensures the responsible utilization of emerging technologies, safeguarding both human welfare and the environment.

Jouke Campen became an engineer in Applied Physics at the Technical University of Delft, specialized in heat and mass transfer. He started working at Wageningen UR in 1997.

His main field of research is energy and climate control in protected horticulture.

Over the years he has become an expert in computational fluid dynamics calculations for greenhouses. He finished his PhD on dehumidification of greenhouses October 2009.

Currently he is the coordinator of the energy program of the ministry of Agriculture in The Netherlands involving annually 7 million EURO of projects on reducing energy use in the Dutch protected horticultural sector.

Aside of this task he is international project manager for the last 10 years working on numerous projects all around the world. 

Prof. Salah El-Hendawy obtained his PhD from the Department of Plant Sciences at the Technical University of Munich, Germany in 2004. He has held various faculty positions in the Agronomy Department at the Faculty of Agriculture at Suez Canal University from Demonstrator to Professor. He was awarded a postdoctoral scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in 2007 and the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) in 2009. Seconded to work as a professor in the Department of Plant Production at the College of Food and Agricultural Sciences - King Saud University in 2012 until now. He has published over 100 research articles in international scientific journals indexed in Q1 and Q2. He has been recognized among the top 2% of scientists worldwide for 2021 and 2022. His research focuses on enhancing irrigation water management and introducing innovative approaches to maximize irrigation water use for field crops in arid and semiarid conditions. Recent efforts have focused on non-destructive methods to accurately assess important traits of drought- and salt-affected genotypes under field conditions (Precision Phenotyping).

Independent consultant & former director of, the Water, Land, and Ecosystems Program, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Formerly, a distinguished professor of agricultural water management at Tottori University in Japan. Since 1991, worked for ICARDA as director, scientist, and research manager.  Earlier, worked for the University of Jordan, as an assistant prof. in irrigation and drainage engineering. Received BSc. degree in agriculture and MSc and Ph.D. in irrigation engineering from Utah State University, Utah, USA. Has over 40 years of experience and leadership in international research and development, capacity building, and agricultural water management. Worked in over 80 countries on implementing projects, training, and mobilizing funds for agricultural water management projects in developing countries. Author of 86 refereed journal publications, 13 books, 34 book chapters, and over 200 proceedings, reports, and awareness publications in the areas of water use efficiency, supplemental irrigation, water harvesting, water productivity, deficit irrigation, salinity, and the management of scarce water resources. Reviewer and member of editorial boards of several refereed journals.

Matthew McCabe is a Professor of Remote Sensing and Water Security and Director of the Climate and Liveability Initiative at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Matthew received his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Newcastle in Australia. Before coming to KAUST in 2012, he held research positions at Princeton University, Los Alamos National Laboratory and was an Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales. His research explores multi-disciplinary issues around water and food security, climate change impacts, precision agriculture, and water resources monitoring and modelling, focusing on the use of novel technologies for enhanced Earth observation and data-model integration. Prof McCabe has published more than 250 research papers and been recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher every year since 2019. He is the Section Chief Editor of Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and an Associate Editor of Remote Sensing. Prof McCabe was the recipient of the 2022 Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water. He is also a co-founder of SarSatX, a Saudi-based satellite and data-analytics company, and was responsible for the launch of Saudi Arabia’s first hyperspectral satellite in 2023. He is the coordinating editor of the recently published “Climate Futures: Saudi Arabia in a 3 degrees warmer world” report.

Dr. Pierre Broun is Director of Climate-Resilient Agriculture at NEOM, overseeing the development of sustainable, innovative and profitable farming systems to support food self-sufficiency at NEOM and food security for the country. 

Before joining NEOM, Dr. Broun held executive positions in the food industry to ensure sustainable agricultural supply, leading plant science and technology in large agri-food companies, including over 10 years as head of plant science at Nestlé. 

Dr. Broun started his career in biotechnology, both in industry and academia. 

He holds a PhD in plant breeding and biometry from Cornell University.

Professor Yakov Kuzyakov worked in various Soil and Environmental Science departments of universities and research institutes worldwide: Germany, USA, UK, Russia, and China. His expertise covers soil ecology, biogeochemistry, rhizosphere processes, C and N cycling, soil degradation, land use and agroecology. Methodical expertise is based on application of stable and radioactive isotopes at natural abundance and labeling. Yakov led research projects in many countries: Germany, China, Korea, Tanzania, Indonesia, Russia, and Chile. Together with his group, Yakov focuses on soil biogeochemistry with long-term and deep expertise for C and N cycles, priming effects, and nutrient mobilization. His special interests are soil-plant-microbial interactions in hotspots. His groundbreaking works are in the fields of rhizodeposition, low molecular weight organic substances, priming effects, visualization of enzyme activities, localization of root exudation. These processes are studied depending on land use and soil degradation, as well as such global change components as warming, drought, elevated CO₂. Yakov group made many innovative studies to pedogenic carbonates, biochar stability, competition of roots and microorganisms for nutrients, microbial metabolism in soil, effects of plant photosynthesis on CO₂ efflux from soil. The applied studies are focused on C sequestration, soil fertility improvements, and reforestation effects. To understand the process mechanisms, Yakov group use a broad range of stable (¹³C, ¹⁵N) and radioactive (¹⁴C, ³²P, ³³P, ¹³⁷Cs) isotopes applications including pioneering position specific labeling and combine these approaches with biomarkers (PLFA, amino sugars, neutral sugars) as well as microbial activity parameters (enzyme and respiratory activities, microbial growth). Yakov is an active member of several editorial boards, for top-ranked journals including Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Land Degradation and Development, Biogeosciences, Rhizosphere, Scientific Reports etc. He was awarded in 2015 the John Waid Award for Best Review Paper in Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 2016 the EGU Outstanding Editor Award etc. Yakov is Visiting Professor and has very close and intensive collaboration with various top universities and research institutes in China.       

Prof. Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Wabel, the driving force behind SBRG, is a well-known Environmental and Soil Scientist with significant contributions to the field of biochar research. Prof. Al-Wabel is an enthusiastic and visionary scientist leading various research projects to synthesize, characterize, and apply biochar to solve the critical issues of soil, environment, and climate. Due to his passion, innovation, and dedication, Prof. Al-Wabel has proved himself a game-changer for biochar research in Saudi Arabia and demonstrated impactful insights into environmental sustainability and carbon management research.

Prof. Mohammad I Al-Wabel works in the Department of Soil Sciences, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (KSU). His prominent research areas are the production of biochar-based low-cost adsorbents for environmental management, monitoring, modelling, soil and environment pollution assessment and remediation, carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation, and revitalization of abandoned soil.

Prof. Mohammad Al-Wabel received his Master's in Soil Sciences from KSU in 1995 and Ph.D. in Soil Chemistry from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA in 2001. He has served as the Chairman of the Department of Soil Sciences at KSU from 2008 to 2012 and from 2017 to 2018. He has also served as the Dean of the Deanship of Scientific Research at KSU from 2018-2022. He has supervised several Master's and Ph.D. theses research. Professor Al-Wabel has published more than 130+ research articles in peer-reviewed national and international journals and more than 8+ book chapters in various books. He has an H-index of 47+ with more than 8200+ citations. He has completed more than 20 research projects as P. I and Co-P.I. in various interdisciplinary subjects. Due to his research contributions, he has been awarded the Research Achievement Award, High-Impact Publication Award, and various other awards. 

Galvanized by the immense importance of biochar, Prof. Al-Wabel founded the SBRG in 2011. Under his leadership, the SBRG hasflourished and became the symbol of innovation in biochar research. Biochar can increase crop productivity by up to 25% by improving nutrient retention of soil by up to 50%, subsequently reducing fertilizer demands. Biochar can sequester substantial amounts of carbon in soil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%. Due to the significant importance of biochar for agriculture, climate, and the environment, the SBRG, under the leadership of Prof. Al-Wabel, is inspiring researchers, environmentalists, industrialists, and policymakers to adopt biochar technology to improve ecosystem health and mitigate climate change for future generations.

Ismail Cakmak earned his PhD at the University Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany, and full Professor at the Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey. Published over 240-peer-reviewed articles, named among the “highly cited researchers” by Clarivate Analytics (Thomson Reuters) and ranked   in the top 0.05 % of most influential scientists in all scientific disciplines in 2022 by Stanford University, based on Elsevier’s Scopus Database.

He has received IFA “International Crop Nutrition Award in 2005, Australian Crawford Fund “Derek Tribe Medal” in 2007, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation-Georg Forster Research Award in 2014, International Plant Nutrition Institute-IPNI Science Prize in 2016 and the World Academy of Sciences-Agricultural Science Prize in 2016.  He is an elected member of “The Academia Europaea” and “The Science Academy” of Turkey.

Joined International Centre for Bio-Saline Agriculture (ICBA), Dubai as Program Leader/section head of the Crop Diversity and Genetics group on 15th Nov 2018 after long stint in rice crop for abiotic stresses. Currently leading the specialized group working on use of suitable cropping solutions for very harsh marginal environments (salty water and soil, drought and high temperature) which is going to be much worsened in future due to climate change. Our major focus in middle east and north Africa (MENA), Central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), besides recent outreach to S and SE Asia as well.

Alanoud Alfagham is an assistant professor in Plant ecology and physiology at King Saud University (KSU). Her research focuses on how the global water shortage affects plant diversity, molecular biology, and physiology. She has published papers in high-impact scientific journals and conferences, and her contribution draws attention to the importance of leaf age consideration in plant drought resistance. She has been learning bioinformatics using advanced computer languages and programs. She aims to contribute to documenting Saudi wheat local cultivars as a highly genetic resource, which could pave the way for improving the physiological response to drought stress in wheat cultivars and informing the breeding programs.

Ali Al Lawati is a scientist in the field of Plant Genetic Resources and crop improvement. Currently, Al Lawati is Assistant Professor in Plant Genetics and Biotechnology in the University of Nizwa. Current, research activity is on the medicinal plants’ conservation and characterization. In addition, Al Lawati is managing the Seed genebank a collaborative project between Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Center and the University of Nizwa.

Al Lawati had BSc. (1990) and MSc. (1998) in Plant Sciences and Environment Sciences, respectively, from Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. he had a Ph.D. (2006) in Agronomy (Plant Breeding and Genetics) and minor in Experimental Statistics from New Mexico State University, U.S.A.

Dr. Ibrahim M. El-Ashmawy, a distinguished pharmacologist, currently holds the position of Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt. Since September 15, 2012, he has been affiliated with the College of Agricultural and Veterinary Medicine at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. He earned a B.V. Med. Sci. with honors in May 1984, followed by an MS in Pharmacology in 1988 and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology in 1991. Throughout his career, Dr. El-Ashmawy has held various positions, starting as a Demonstrator (1984-1988) in the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University. He progressed to become an Assistant Lecturer (1988-1991), Lecturer (1991-1995), Assistant Professor (1995-2000), and eventually a professor (2000- …). His teaching experiences include instructing undergraduate students in Pharmacology and Drug Toxicology. Additionally, he has taught advanced courses in Pharmacology and Toxicology to graduate students, guiding their research projects, and has supervised numerous Master Thesis and Ph.D. Dissertations (23 Master Theses and Ph.D. (10)). Dr. El-Ashmawy's academic and research experiences also extend abroad, where he served as a Visiting Professor at the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany, in 2000. Dr. El-Ashmawy has actively contributed to various scientific projects, partnering in endeavors such as antiviral activity of a newly formulated herbal mixture, therapeutic efficacy of Copper (I) nicotinate, development of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug from blue green algae, and more. Throughout his career, Dr. El-Ashmawy has received numerous awards, honors, and grants, including the State Prize for Scientific Encouragement in Agricultural Sciences (2000), Alexandria University Prize for Scientific Encouragement (2000), Alexandria University Prize for Scientific Excellence (2009), and the State Prize for Scientific Excellence (2010), among others. Dr. El-Ashmawy's contributions extend to conferences, where he has actively participated in both national and international events related to pharmacology and toxicology. His research interests cover a wide scope, including herbal medicine, heavy metals, drug safety assessment, teratology, male fertility, GC/MS analysis, pharmacodynamics, neuromuscular junction, pharmacogenetics, anti-inflammatory and analgesic screenings, and neuropharmacology. With a prolific academic career, Dr. Ibrahim M. El-Ashmawy continues to make significant contributions to the field of pharmacology and veterinary medicine.

Currently he is an Associate professor of Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology at King Saud University, College of Food and Agriculture Science, Plant Production Department.  He got his Engineer in Horticulture (1991) from ESH Chott-Mariem (TUNISIA), Master of Sciences (1993) in Plant Tissue culture and Genetic Engineering from ENSH Versailles (FRANCE), Doctor's degree (Ph.D.) (1998) in plant Biotechnology & cellular and molecular biology from INA-PG Paris Sud University, France.  He worked at INRA-Versailles (France) as Ph.D. Student, at ICGEB-New Delhi for two years as Post-Doc, at Center of Biotechnology of Sfax (Tunisia) for 10 years and from September 2010 to present he works at King Saud University. His Research Interest are Plant Molecular Biology and physiology (Plant Biotechnology, Biopharming, Abiotic stress tolerance), Plant Tissue culture genetic engineering, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), Genomics and Bioinformatics of extremophile plants as a sink for stress tolerant related genes, and Hydroponics/Aeroponics growing systems and Plant Growth-Promoting Microorganisms for Agriculture and Ecological Sustainability.

Hirt studied biochemistry at the Univ. of Cape Town and Vienna where he received his PhD in 1987. After post-doctoral fellowships at the Univ. of Oxford and Wageningen, he became Professor of Genetics at the Univ. of Vienna. In 2007, he was nominated Director of the INRAe Plant Genomics Institute in Paris and of the Center for Desert Agriculture at KAUST in 2014. Hirt has a long standing record on how plants can survive under abiotic or biotic stress conditions (more than 300 publications, h-index 95). His current research is focused on how plants can survive under abiotic or biotic stress conditions by identifying and using beneficial microbes of desert plants

He holds a Ph.D. in two distinct fields—firstly, in Biochemistry from the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, exploring the impact of lead exposure on oxidative stress, and subsequently, in Advanced Biotechnology and Biodiversity from the University of Silesia in Katowice, focusing on the root system development of Hordeum vulgare L. He received his master’s degree in biotechnology and biology and a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Silesia in Katowice. Professionally, he has held roles ranging from Head of Content and Co-Owner at Content Farmers Sp. z o.o. to serving as an Associate Editor at BioAgWorld Digest and a Sales Specialist at Przedsiębiorstwo ARKOP Sp. z o.o. He has experience in internships at renowned institutions globally, and has actively contributed to nine international research grants, authored a patent application, and published several articles in scientific journals and conference materials.

Northern Border University (Arar). Prof. Abdulhakim Bawadekji obtained his degree in Agricultural Sciences (1989-1993) from Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomiques (Montpellier - France). He is an ex-faculty member of, the Department of Horticulture, and ex-director of the edible mushroom research laboratory, the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Aleppo. (Aleppo, Syria). He is a professor at Northern Border University, College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences. He has published over 75 research articles in international scientific. He is a member of the editorial board of many international journals. His research focuses on studying native flora and native fungi of Northern Border Region (Arar - Saudi Arabia). Competing desertification and reforestation of arid zones via improving seedling quality in nurseries using endomycorrhizal inoculation of roots.

Ce Yang is an Associate Professor working on remote sensing for precision agriculture and high-throughput phenotyping at the University of Minnesota, USA. She leads the Agricultural Robotics Lab in the department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering to work on nutrient management, yield prediction and disease detection of staple food crops. The Ag Robotics Lab’s mission is to apply advanced ideas of robotics, remote sensing, data mining and information technology into precision agriculture. The core techniques they use include multispectral/hyperspectral imaging, spectroscopy, machine learning, geographic information system (GIS), digital mapping, biochemical sensing, etc. The tools available for carrying out her research are unmanned aerial vehicle, unmanned ground vehicle, video camera, multispectral camera, hyperspectral camera, DGPS, and various electrical, optical and chemical sensors. Ce Yang obtained her PhD degree in Agricultural Engineering and MS degree in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Florida.

Agricultural Engineer, PhD in Agricultural Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is a Professor at the University of São Paulo (USP), in the Department of Biosystems Engineering, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), in Piracicaba, São Paulo, since 1989, where he coordinates the Precision Agriculture Laboratory. He works at the interface between the area of Agricultural Machinery and Precision Agriculture, especially with crop and soil sensors, spatial variability, yield mapping and site specific application of inputs. He coordinated the Brazilian Congress of Precision Agriculture from its creation in 2004 until 2018

Francelino Rodrigues has been working in precision agriculture and remote sensing since 2004, including in his MSc, PhD and Postdoctoral studies. During his time, he has gained precision agriculture and remote sensing experience in contrasting cropping systems (coffee, sugarcane, cereals) in various countries (Brazil, Australia and Mexico) and at different spatio-temporal scales - from plot experiments towards small and commercial farming systems to regional scale. Before joining Lincoln Agritech in July 2021, he worked for around nine years at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). At CIMMYT he was involved in projects related to maize and wheat high throughput field phenotyping, and precision agriculture and remote sensing techniques applied to crop management at different spatial scales – executing field campaigns in countries in East Africa and South Asia and Mexico

Currently, he is Associate Professor (tenure track), Department of Plant Resources and Environment, Jeju National University, since2022. As well as He is a Member of European Cooperation in Science and Technology since 2022 and he is the CEO of Pytomix Corporation since 2021. He is Assistant Professor (tenure track), Department of Plant Resources and Environment, Jeju National University, 2018-2022. He worked on Plant Breeding and Genetics using conventional and modern methods with phenomics. He did Postdoctoral Research Associate, Plant Sciences Institute, Iowa State University, 2014-2016 with the Advisor: Professor Patrick Schnable. Develop field-based high throughput phenotyping system for corn using time lapse as a Project Lead. He Established multidisciplinary collaborations with several ISU departments and private company.

Prof. Dr. Khalid A. Al-Gaadi: Received a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from Colorado State University, USA, in 1998.  Currently working as a Full Professor in the Department of Agricultural Engineering in King Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).  His research interests include Agricultural Power and Machinery, with focus on Precision Agriculture (PA).  Established the Precision Agriculture Research Chair (PARC) in 2009 and currently working as the Chair Director.  He is the representative of KSA in the International Society for Precision Agriculture and is a member of many international and local scientific societies.  He has published more than 75 scientific papers in refereed scientific journals and participated in more than 25 international scientific conferences related to his research interests. Prof. Al-Gaadi is a co-researcher for a number of current and previous research funded projects.  He supervised a number of graduate students in the field of PA and agricultural machinery. 

Scientist (Seed and rangeland ecology), International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), ICARDA-UAE country manager and Arabian Peninsula Regional Program Coordinator. Seed technologist and Rangeland Ecologist with a PhD degree from the Wageningen University, the Netherlands.  35 years of experience working on seed science and technology and rangeland monitoring, restoration, and management, and community-based rehabilitation. Currently the Manager of the ICARDA United Arab Emirates Office and the Arabian Peninsula Regional Program. With a track record in leadership and program management at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), he currently works as the ICARDA UAE Office Manager and Coordinator of the ICARDA Arabian Peninsula Regional Program since 2020. Since 2022, he also led the ICARDA component of the One CGIAR Initiative on Nature Positive Solutions in Agriculture. From 2016 to 2021, he actively participated in implementing the seed system development and diversification component of the CRP-Wheat and coordinated the Iran-ICARDA food security project. Earlier, he led the ICARDA International Nurseries Program from 2007 to 2016 and led the seed component of the Water Productivity Improvement of Cereals and Food Legumes Challenge Program in the Atbara Basin of Eritrea from 2008 to 2010.

Dr. Essam holds a Bachelor degree in Chemistry from King Saud University, a Master degree in Physical Chemistry from Manchester University in UK and a PhD degree in Thermo-Chemistry from Leeds University in UK.

Dr. Essam is a Research Fellow at SABIC Agri Nutrients Company.  He has been holding the position of Senior Manager for Agri Nutrients Technology & Innovation (T&I) Specialty department since 2016. Prior to this, he has been holding many management positions within SABIC T&I.

Dr Zainab Oyetunde-Usman is a Research Social Scientist with background in agricultural and behavioural economics. She completed her Ph.D. at the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich and her research interestingly focused on the Impact and behavioural analysis of the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among farm households in developing countries using various adoption probabilities, impact, and behavioural analysis techniques. She currently works at the Net-Zero and Resilient Farming Department at Rothamsted Research, UK, contributing to the social advancement of improved techniques for tackling climate issues. Her research aims are tailored to providing evidence-based policy intervention that increases resilience and minimises the farming population's vulnerability

Ashok Kumar Are obtained his Ph D from Division of Genetics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and completed certification courses in Data-driven decisions, Product Management and Leading the Organization from the Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Queensland. Currently he is working as Director, a.i. Regional Program –Asia, Cluster Leader – Seed systems, and Product Placement Lead -Asia at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semiarid Tropics (ICRISAT), India. He has >23 years of research experience in genetics, plant breeding for developing improved breeding processes and market-preferred cultivars in various crops, particularly the sorghum and castor that resulted in release of more than 100 cultivars in 15 countries. Deploying data-driven decisions in breeding is one of the core areas of his work. Since 2006, his major focus is on modernizing the breeding programs, developing innovative approaches that enhance rate of genetic gain in crops for various end uses and in developing innovative seed systems for rapid replacement of farmers’ varieties. He is currently providing vision and operational plans for the Regional Program -Asia that works with three global research programs at ICRISAT in co-designing and co-creation of new knowledge, products and technologies and their dissemination. He led the projects on biofortifying sorghum with higher grain Zn and Fe and developing sorghums amenable for first (1G) and second generation (2G) bioenergy production besides forage sorghum. He served as an International Consultant to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the UN in Sudan, Namibia, and Austria. He has guided 10 Ph D students and published 98 journal articles, 45 book chapters, 50 conference papers and co-authored 8 books.

Dato’ Dr Mohamad Zabawi expertise includes soil science (soil conservation), agroecological zonation, climate change, green technology, and water stress physiology. Dato’ Dr Mohamad Zabawi obtained his PhD in Water Stress Physiology and MSc in Tropical Agriculture from The Reading Unversity in 2006 and 1993, and his BSc in Agriculture Science (Major in Soil Physic and Conservation) from Universiti Putra Malaysia in 1988. He is the Chairman of the vulnerability and adaptation of agriculture to climate change for the Third National Communication. He is also a member for Academy of Sciences Malaysia Water and Climate Change Task Force, committee member for Research and Innovation in Green Technology and Climate Change, committee member for Adaptation in Green Technology and Climate Change.

Josef Soukup is a Professor and Head of the Department of Agroecology and Crop Production at the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic. He currently serves as the Dean of that Faculty. He has established and lead a local weed research group with extensive collaborations with leading domestic and international research institutions, industry, and farmer´s associations. His recent research areas are the herbicide resistance, herbicide tolerant crops and co-existence of GM and non-GM cropping systems. His group is steadily involved in many research projects financially supported by different grant agencies and industry. Josef Soukup serves as President of the European Weed Research Society in 2022-2023 and maintains networking with other weed science and crop protection societies. 

Dr. Johan A. Stenberg is a Professor in Integrated Plant Protection and Director of the SLU Center for Biological Control.

Dr. Mudasir Gani is working as Assistant Professor at Division of Entomology, Faculty of Horticulture, SKUAST-K, Shalimar, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India. He had completed Ph.D. Entomology from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir India and Post-Doc from Institute for Biological Control, Julius Kuhn Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Germany. He has a very good experience on mass rearing techniques of insect parasitoids and predators - their field evaluation and impact assessment; host-pathogen interactions and molecular aspects of entomology. He has guided 07 Masters student’s and co-guided 3 doctoral students in the discipline of Agricultural Entomology. He has published more than 25 research papers in high impact factor journals in the discipline of Entomology in general and insect pathology in particular.

Hessel van der Heide is a Technical Researcher Entomology at the business unit Greenhouse Horticulture part of Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands. He specializes in biological control of pests in greenhouse crops, varying from food crops to (cut)flowers. He has worked on a wide variety of pests, including stinkbugs, aphids, thrips, whiteflies, and others. In addition to pests, he has also worked with various biological control agents, supplementary foods to create so called “standing armies” of biological control agents and predatory mites. Currently he works a lot on banker plant systems to get an early establishment of biological control agents or to support biological control agents to establish under suboptimal conditions.

Dr. Luma Al -Banna is a Professor in the Department of Plant Protection, School of Agriculture, University of Jordan since 1996. She received a B.S. in Plant Production and Plant Protection from University of Jordan in 1981 and her M.S. & Ph.D. in Plant Pathology/Nematology from University of California, Davis, in 1992 and 1996, respectively.  Formerly, Al-Banna served as the department head of Plant Protection and at present, she is the Assistant Dean for Alumni Affairs at the School of Agriculture, University of Jordan. She is currently appointed as an ambassador of University of Bonn, Germany in Jordan.  Her areas of research interests include nematode systematics, epidemiology, and management of plant diseases. Luma was a visiting Scientist at UC Davis, UC Riverside, and University of Bonn. Al-Banna has published numerous articles and manuscripts in several international journals, including Australasian Plant Pathology, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Crop Protection, Journal of Nematology, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Nematologia Mediterrenea, Phytopathologia Mediterranea, and Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. She has supervised/co-supervised 12 MSc students, 5 PhD students, and teaches courses in plant pathology/nematology at the undergraduate and graduate levels for almost 27 years at the University of Jordan.

Abdo Hassoun is the founder of Sustainable AgriFoodtech Innovation & Research (SAFIR), a non-profit research organization that works in collaboration with other notable partners to contribute to addressing food sustainability issues and making food healthier and more affordable. He completed his Ph.D. in 2016 in France and carried out his postdoctoral research work at the Norwegian Food Research Institute (Nofima). Dr. Hassoun has also experience from the University of the Littoral Opal Coast in France (ULCO). He has been among the first researchers who have explored the potential of Industry 4.0 and emerging technologies in agriculture and the food industry. He serves as an Editorial Board Member and Guest Editor of several international journals and has contributed to numerous scientific publications.

Dr. Salah bin Muhammad Abdulaziz Al-Eid is currently a Professor of Food Science and Technology at the College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University. He holds a Ph.D. in Grain Science and Technology from Kansas State University in the USA. Dr. Al-Eid's extensive contributions and publication, exceeds fifty research papers. Additionally, he holds three granted US patents. His commitment to excellence in scientific research has been recognized through the prestigious Al-Marai Scientific Creativity Award. In terms of leadership and governance, Dr. Al-Eid is an esteemed member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority since 2021. He also contributes to the agricultural sector as a member of the Board of Directors of the Agricultural Development Fund, a role he has held since 2020. Furthermore, he is a board member of the Research Excellence Center for Palm and Dates at King Faisal University since 2022. Internationally, Dr. Al-Eid has engaged in collaborative research projects with esteemed institutions. Notable among these is his collaboration with Inner Mongolia Agricultural University in China, focusing on the potential of fresh and fermented camel milk as a source of probiotics (2022 – 2024). His international collaborations also include partnerships with the University of Lorraine and the Higher Agricultural Institute in France, where he worked on the production of the antibiotic Streptomycin from dates using fermentation technology (2013 – 2018). Additionally, he collaborated with Michigan State University in the USA on projects related to biofuel production from dates (2012-2014) and X-ray irradiation of dates (2010). Dr. Salah bin Muhammad Abdulaziz Al-Eid's impactful contributions to academia, research, and international collaborations underscore his dedication to advancing the fields of Food Science and Technology.

Emeritus professor, faculty of Agriculture,  professor, Arid Lands Agricultural studies and Research Institute, Ain Shams university

He started his career after graduation from Cairo University, faculty of Agriculture working as assistant researcher in the National Research Center. After being granted the Ph.D. degree, he was appointed as lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the faculty of agriculture, Ain Shams University. His career continued ever since as associate professor, then full professor and head of Horticulture Department, then Emeritus Professor at Ain Shams University till the moment.

Dr. Dinesh Chauhan is the Vice President of Projects and Partnerships at DeHaat, a prominent agri-tech firm in India, serving more than two million farmers. With a remarkable 22-year career in the agriculture and agribusiness sector, Dr. Chauhan has held various high-level positions encompassing academics, consulting, sales, and business development. His expertise spans farm solutions, large-scale modern farming, supply chain management, business development, and structured trade finance.

Dr. Chauhan boasts an impressive educational background with a PhD in Management, an MBA in Agribusiness Management, an MSc in Food Technology, and a BSc in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.

Dr. Stella Despoudi is Senior Lecturer in Food Supply Chain Management & Logistics at the University of Western Macedonia, in Greece. Prior to this Stella has been working for Aston Business School, Coventry University and for Loughborough University’s School of Business & Economics. She holds a PhD in Food Operations and Supply Chain Management from Loughborough University’s School of Business and Economics. 

Stella’s research expertise lies in the following research areas: Circular food supply chains, supply chain resilience, industry 5.0, honey supply chain, food waste and food sustainability. Currently she works on multi-partner projects related to food supply chain resilience, climatic changes, and Industry 5.0. She also works as food supply chain consultant and she is co-owner of a honey processing company called Melizin

Adil Abdelnour is an interdisciplinary scientist and advisor; he works on issues related to water management and environmental policy, specially focused on how to mainstream sustainable agricultural development concepts and applications as related to judicious use of natural resource, sustainable food systems and development of non-conventional water resources.

Dr. Abdelnour works in Saudi Arabia as a consultant at ministry of municipalities, Qassim University and lastly as a technical advisor for the National Research and Development Center (Estidamah). He had been working for some international organizations and private sector companies. His professional interests include environmental policies for sustainable water management, policy research and institutional capacity development for transformation to sustainable management of natural resources. His current interests revolve around water – waste – energy – food nexus.

Dr. Abdelnour delivers many presentations and offer lectures in areas of environmental impacts of unsustainable agricultural practices of Saudi agri-food system, how to shift from resource sufficiency to resource efficiency.

Graduated 2008 from faculty of veterinary medicine. Work in poultry production more than 10 years as poultry consultant. Hold master’s degree in Black solider fly larvae extract. In 2016, he started his journey with breeding insects, especially black soldier fly, where he moved the production from laboratory to the commercial level, founded EGYMAG Biotechnology Company, 1st MENA Biotechnology company, developed indoor Breeding system, Vertical insect protein production Solution (using Black solider fly larvae) less land, water and Energy usage, transforming organic residue to protein and unique organic fertilizers.

Dr. Abdallah Soubhy Ali is currently an Associate professor of Microbiology at Cairo University in Egypt and a scientific team leader at Anhui University of Technology in China. He earned his Bachelor of Biotechnology at Cairo University, Egypt, in 2001, and his M.Sc. in Environmental Microbiology at the same University, in 2007 and his PhD in Microbial Biotechnology from the Technical University of Munich, Germany in 2015. In his thesis work he pioneered the biorefinery and bioconversion of lignocellulosic material to produce high-valuable products and by-products and applied this to study on different agricultural and agro-industrial wastes to get the maximum benefits form these residues with zero waste processes.

Dr Abed Alaswad is an established researcher in sustainable energy systems with a focus on waste to energy techniques. He is the Director of the Engineering for Sustainable Development Research Center at Aston University in the United Kingdom.  He has a track record of leading/ contributing to research projects as funded by (EPSRC, KTP, ETP, GCRF, RAEng) working along with partners from the UK, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. Dr Alaswad is an Editorial Board Member for the Science of the Total Environment (IF: 10.753, Citescore: 14.1) and reviews for the Prestigious Newton Fund Prize.

Dr. Kakoli Ghosh works for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and specializes in sustainable agriculture, agrobiodiversity and food security. She is the Chief Technical Adviser, Sustainable Rural Agriculture Development Program of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where FAO is providing technical and advisory assistance for strengthening agricultural productivity, natural resource management and value addition of commodities for rural development. Dr. Ghosh has extensive experience in dealing with issues and challenges facing agriculture development around the world. Throughout her career, she was based in the FAO Headquarters in Rome, where she held a range of important positions in Plant Production and Protection Division, Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, FAO’s Strategic Program on Sustainable Food and Agriculture and Partnerships and Cooperation Division.

Cecilia Stanghellini, an Italian physicist with a Dutch PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has been working at Wageningen University and Research Centre (the Netherlands) for more than 30 years, on the resource use and management of greenhouses in wet and dry climates. Major topics are: greenhouse climate simulation and management; crop yield and resource use efficiency; economy and environmental impact of greenhouse crops. She is [co]author of more than 300 publications including a recent textbook on greenhouse technology.

She has lead several large international projects, financed by the European Union, governments and large companies in Europe, Latin America, and Africa on the topic of efficient greenhouse vegetable production and capacity building.

Prof. Dr. Nazim Gruda, University of Bonn, Germany, is a globally renowned authority in horticulture. He is Vice-Chair of the Division of Vegetables, Roots, and Tubers within the International Society for Horticultural Science. For his outstanding work, he received the "Dr Heinrich-Baur-Prize", from the Technical University of Munich and the "National Scientific Prize" from the Academy of Science of Albania. His influential research places him in the top 2% of global scientists, according to Stanford University. He is a member, an Honorary Member, and a Correspondent of three European Academies, and a "Distinguished Scientist" of the Academy of Science of China.

Dr. Michael Salvador has over 15 years of experience in basic research and R&D and a proven track record in developing solar technologies, with emphasis on thin-film, flexible photovoltaics. Michael holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Cologne, Germany. Previously, he has held research positions at universities in the USA and Germany, including Caltech, University of Washington, and University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. In 2019 he took on the role as Principal Technology Lead of the KAUST Solar Center. Michael is also the CEO of Mirai Solar, a startup developing renewable energy solutions that capitalizes on the need for shade. During the last three years he has led Mirai Solar from an R&D project into a full-scale startup with manufacturing capabilities and pilot demonstrations. Michael has contributed to several patents for solar devices including those forming the intellectual property of Mirai Solar. 

Prof. Abdullah is currently a Professor of Horticulture in the Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences at King Saud University.  He earned his BSc. From King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with first degree honor, MSc. Degree from the University of California, Davis, CA, USA and PhD degree from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.

 His Professional Experience extend to administrative and academic fields. He is currently a representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Council of the International Society for Horticultural Sciences. He is also amember of the judging committee for the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity in King Abdulaziz and his Companions for Giftedness and Creativity.  He was a board member of the National Center for the Research and Development in Sustainable Agriculture (ISTIDAMAH). He was the founder dean of the College of Scientific and Humanitarian Studies in Alghat City, Almajmaa University.   He was a consultant in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.  He served as a Chairman of the Department of Plant Production,  President, Saudi Society for Agricultural Sciences, Board member of the Saudi Biological Society. Deputy Dean and Dean of the College of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Director of the Agricultural Research and Experiment Station.  He earned Al-Marai Prize for Scientific Innovation / Creative Work in Plant   Production from AlMarai Agricultural Company and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.  He also had the award for outstanding research publication at King Saud University and outstanding reviewer award from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.

He has published more than 110 Arabic and English articles and authored or translated 12 books or book chapters.  He conducted more than 12 research projects and currently working in 3 projects.  He supervised and co- supervised 32 MsC and PhD students in King Saud university and local and international universities.  His main research interests are protected environment agriculture, environmental stress physiology and use of sustainable and renewable energy in food production.

Dr. Jung Eek Son is a professor emeritus and senior researcher at Seoul National University, Republic of Korea. He works for greenhouse horticulture, vertical farm, and smart farming, particularly on recycled soilless culture, canopy photosynthesis modelling, supplemental inter-lighting, light use efficiency, AI and 3D plant modeling. He published about 230 scientific papers and books; and received academic achievement awards and government-level honors. He served presidents of Korean Societies of Horticultural Science, Bio-environmental control, Vertical Farm Research & Industry, and a WG chair of Integrated Production System (ISHS). He was a convener of GreenSys2013 and is a co-convener of LightSym2024 (Korea).

(Affiliation)

Professor emeritus in Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources and Senior researcher in Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Korea.

Muien Qaryouti has obtained his PhD, 2001, from the Jordan University, in horticulture science.

He started his career as a researcher at the National Agricultural Research Centre since 1992, Amman.

He became a Director for the Irrigated Agriculture Research Program during 2004- 2012, and the Director of Horticultural Research between 2012-2016. Qaryouti continued his career as a Director General Assistant for Research, 2016- 2017, and Deputy Director General.

Besides, he was a member and coordinator of the FAO Regional Working Group on Greenhouse Crop Production in the Mediterranean Region, 2006-2012. Member of the international Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS).

Currently, Qaryouti joined NATIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE (ESTIDAMAH) since 2018.

He is expertise is in crop management in protected agriculture, application of different growing media, resilience abiotic stresses, marketing management and international cooperation. 

Professor of Water Resources at the regional Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Bahrain. He serves as the coordinator of the Water Resources Management Graduate Program and the coordinator of the UN Water Learning Center for the Arab Region hosted by the AGU, and serves as a member of the Permanent Advisory Committee of the Water Resources Council in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He obtained his PhD from Colorado State University in 1990 in the field of groundwater systems mathematical modeling. He teaches graduate courses in Hydrogeology and Water Resources Development, Management and Planning in Arid Regions; has published more than 100 research papers in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, conferences, and seminars;, and supervised more than 45 MSc and PhD theses

Prof. Mohamed Ouessar has a doctorate in Applied Biological Sciences (Land management) from the University of Ghent in Belgium. He is currently a senior researcher at the Arid Zone Research Institute (Tunisia).

He has contributed actively to the realization of numerous joint research projects funded by national and international agencies. His research programs focused mainly on water harvesting, GIS based hydrological modeling and decision support systems, impact assessment, watershed management, climate change impacts and adaptation, combating desertification and drylands management.

He contributed also to the training and capacity building through supervision of trainees and students of all levels from national and international centers and organizations and universities

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Dr. Naser Edin Obeid is the Director General of The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands "ACSAD" from 2020 to date. He holds a PhD in agricultural and environmental economics. He held many positions, such as

Assistant Director General of the ACSAD  2014-2020.

Director of Administrative and Financial department at ACSAD, 1996-2020.

Director of the Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in the Syrian Arab Republic 1993-1995.

During his work at ACSAD, he participated in:

Preparing the ten-year strategies of ACSAD, (1998-2008) (2010-2020).

Preparing the annual plans of ACSAD from 1996 to date.

Preparing the Arab strategy for agricultural development for the years 2009-2025, which was approved by the Arab Summit in its 20th session.

Preparing the financial and accounting system for joint Arab action organizations 2000 (League of Arab States). Member of many scientific and technical committees and participated and lectured in tens of regional and international conferences.

He has many scientific publications in the fields of environmental economics and combating desertification. Chief Editor of the Arab Journal of Arid Environments, published by ACSAD.

David Mulla has been the Larson Chair and Professor for Soil & Water Resources in the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota since 1995.  

He received a Ph.D. degree in Agronomy from Purdue University with emphasis in soil physics.

He was a Professor in the Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences from 1983-1995 at Washington State Univ.

Dr. Mulla’s research emphasizes precision agriculture, land management and water quality modeling, ecosystem services, and international agricultural development.

Dr. Mulla is a Fellow in the Soil Science Society of America, and the Agronomy Society of America.

H.E Dr. Abdulaziz Almalik ,Deputy minister for research and innovation for the Ministry for Environment Water and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia

Abdulaziz Almalik is the deputy minister for research and innovation at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia. Prior to joining MEWA, he served as vice-president for scientific research support, vice-president for innovation and technology commercialisation, director of the Life Sciences and Environmental Research Institute, vice-chair of the Scientific Council, and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (2015-23). He was also a senior adviser to the governor and a founding member of the founding team of the Research, Development and Innovation Authority. He has extensive experience in developing and managing national-scale RDI initiatives backed by knowledge of intellectual property generation, acquisition, management and strong academic credentials.

Since 2017, working as Regional Officer for Plant Protection and Production (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the Near East and North Africa Region), he is currently leading the plant protection activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization in the Near East and North Africa.

·       Responsible for guiding FAO's response to regional and national priorities for food security, Pest and Pesticide management, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities in NENA region.

·       Lead the regional and national dialogue with high level authority and planning for the need and implementation of NENA counties for sustainable management and development in food safety and security focusing on plant health and plant production.

·       Lead seed management and genetic resource conservation, as well as, the regional strategy to control Transboundary Plant Pests and Diseases. At the same time, he works for the implementation process of innovative monitoring, early warning, forecasting, rapid response for plant pest and disease.

·       Plan and lead the implementation process of national and regional communication and capacity development to promote sustainable and environmentally sound management and control techniques.

Mr. Yaseen worked for 18 years as a professor of plant pathology at CIHEAM: International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies, Bari Italy, and he obtained a professor's degree at the National Research Institute in Rome - Italy. (Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology). Professor Yaseen has supervised more than 14 doctoral degree and more than 52 master's degrees in disease and pest control science. Professor Yaseen has published more than 124 scientific papers, including 50 papers published in internationally refereed journals, 70 research papers in conference publications, and 6 scientific books.

Aly Abousabaa is CGIAR’s Regional Director, Central and West Asia and North Africa, as well as Director-General of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).
He is a strategic leader in sustainable development, climate change advocacy, and agriculture research in the global dry regions.
Prior to joining CGIAR to head ICARDA, Aly was Vice President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). He led the preparation and execution of the bank’s key strategies in agriculture, water, natural resources management, climate change, infrastructure, women, youth, and governance. Through mobilizing and managing a portfolio of USD 11 billion, his work made a transformational impact on the lives of millions of people across Africa. Aly also helped coordinate climate change negotiations in Africa and acted as Gender Champion. He serves on several international boards such as the board of governors at the Arab Water Council and the Board of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation.

Ms. Yüksel Tüzel graduated from Ege University in 1981 with an MSc degree and received her PhD in in 1989. Between 1983 and 1984 she was employed by the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry and thereafter became Research Assistant at the Faculty of Agriculture of Ege University. She became Associate Professor in 1992. Since 1998 she has been working at the Horticulture Department of the Agricultural Faculty of Ege University as a Full Professor. Prof. Tüzel was a Visiting Scientist at Horticultural Research International in Littlehampton, United Kingdom, April-September 1988, and at Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands, January-June 2012.

Her expertise is in development of vegetable production technologies in greenhouses. She has worked on soilless culture systems, irrigation and fertilization management, abiotic stress response and grafting. In 2000 she started to work on organic greenhouse vegetable production.

Prof. Tüzel has lectured on protected cultivation to undergraduate and postgraduate students. She has supervised Masters and PhD students and conducted international and national projects. She has authored more than 300 scientific articles in SCI journals, national refereed journals, international and national symposia, books and chapters. Prof. Tüzel was the member of FAO Regional Working groups on Protected Cultivation. She served as the ISHS President between 2018 and 2022.

Professor at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). He received a Bachelor’s degree from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, a Master’s degree from King Saud University in 2007, and a Ph.D. in 2013 from Swansea University, UK, in the field of water treatment.

Currently, He leads the Sustainability and Environment Sector at KACST as Vice President of the Sustainability and Environment Sector. Dr. Alkhudhiri held several administrative positions as the manager of the National Center for Nanotechnology, manager of the National Center for Desalination and Water Treatment, and manager of the National Center for Chemical Technologies. Participated as a member of the local expert team in preparing a report on future technologies for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia issued by KACST in 2021. Dr. Alkhudhiri has also carried out many research projects in the field of desalination and water treatment, and he was a member of several water treatment committees.

Maha M. Khayyat is a research professor of physics of semiconductors at the Energy and Industry Sector, King Abdulaziz Cityfor science and Technology (KACST). She received her PhD from Cavendish laboratory, University of Cambridge. She worked at several technically prestigious labs, including Nanoscience Center, Cambridge, T. J.Watson Research Center of IBM, and Center of Clean Water and Energy, Mechanical Engineering Department, MIT.

Dr. Felwa Abdullah Thagfan holds a Ph.D. in parasitology. Her academic journey began with a BSc.in Zoology from Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, followed by a Master of Science in Zoology from King Saud university and subsequent doctoral studies. Her teaching experience spans various levels, including a health education instructor at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, teaching assistant positions at both Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman and King Saud universities, then become an Assistant Professor at biology department at princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman university and later an Associate Professor of Parasitology. Her leadership roles at princess Nourah bint Abdulrhman university include serving as the Former Head of research and innovation unit, Former Head of the Scientific Journals Unit, and Former Managing Editor of Biodiversity Research Journal. Currently, she serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Science at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University.

Dr. Thagfan is a member of the Australian Society for Parasitology. Her published works concentrate on the utilization of natural plants in treating parasitic diseases, notably focusing on the indigenous flora of Saudi Arabia.

He holds a doctorate in analytical chemistry and materials chemistry from Oklahoma State University, USA, in 2006. He works in the field of environmental research and the development of separation technologies. He also works on developing materials with high surface areas for multiple uses in environmental, energy and water research.

The founding supervisor of the Advanced Materials Research Chair and head of the Chromatography Research Group, he supervised 12 master’s students, and 8 doctoral students, and with the participation of his colleagues and students, he published more than 200 research papers published in prestigious international scientific journals, 18 patents, and translated a book specialized in chromatography.

A founding member of the Gulf Chemists Union, he is also a member of the Arab Chemists Union and the Asian Chemists Union.

He received many local, regional and international awards and was ranked among the most cited scientists for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022.

He currently works as Dean, College of Science at KSU and Chairman of Saudi Chemical Society.

 EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: 

• PhD in International Agricultural Development from Tokyo University of Agriculture. Japan. 
• Master of Science Diploma in Plant Breeding from the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies- Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Saragossa (CIHEAM-IAMZ). Spain. 
• Diploma of Specialized Post-Graduate Studies in Plant Breeding from International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies- Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Saragossa. (CIHEAM-IAMZ). Spain. 
• Agricultural Engineer Diploma from Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (IAV Hassan II). Rabat. Morocco 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 

• Chief of Farming at Al Madinah Heritage Company. (2023-Now)
• Agricultural Expert at the National Center for Palms & Dates. Riyadh. (2022-2023) 
• R&D and Projects Manager at Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group). Saudi Arabia and Quality Manager at ASYLA Gum Co Ltd. Senegal (Feb 2020-2022). 
• R&D, Organic project and Quality Manager at Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Saudi Arabia (June 2019-Feb 2020) and Quality Manager at ASYLA Gum Co Ltd. Senegal. Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group) (Feb 2020-Now) • R&D Manager. Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group). Saudi Arabia (2010- June 2019) 
• Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Sciences and Techniques (FST)-University of Kadi Ayyad. Beni Mellal. Morocco (2002-2010) 
• Research scientist at the Biotechnology Unit, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, INRA (National Institute of Agronomic Research). Morocco. Rabat (2008-2010) 
• Manager of the Department of Technical Education, Vocational Training, Research and Development at the Regional Directorate of Agriculture in Tadla. Morocco (2008-2010) 
• Manager of the Regional Department of Certification of Seed and Nurseries. Beni Mellal. Morocco (2000-2008) 
• Controller of seeds and nurseries at the Regional Department of Certification of Seed and Nurseries. Beni Mellal. Morocco (1997-2000) 
• Farm Manager of Haddawi Farms. Larache. Morocco. (1995-1997) 

Woody possesses over 16 years of experience in designing and implementing collaborations in both private and public sector in the areas of outcome-driven transformation, strategic advisory, delivery unit design and activation.

His experience covers organizations in various countries in SE Asia, Middle East, and Africa, and he has previously advised Ministers on National Level initiatives in these countries. 

In NEOM Food, Woody is responsible for building and maintaining synergistic strategic initiatives with key public sector partners, stakeholders, and other entities within the food ecosystem in NEOM and KSA, particularly in the areas of regulations, innovation, research and talent pipeline development."

PhD from Auburn University, Alabama, 2016.

He held a number of administrative positions at King Faisal University and represented the university in the National Dialogue Workshop for Sustainable Food Systems in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as in a workshop for the G20 meeting entitled: Water, Energy and Food. In addition to a number of international conferences, he also worked in a number of committees within the university and at the Kingdom level, and is Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the International Conference on Food Security and Environmental Sustainability. He currently works as an associate professor at King Faisal University and holds the position of Dean of the College of Agricultural and Food Sciences since 2019.

Salim Al-Babili received his PhD from the University Freiburg, Germany. After his PhD, he obtained a Rockefeller Post-Doc fellowship to work on developing “Golden Rice” in the lab of Peter Beyer and in collaboration with Ingo Potrykus. In 2007, he received his Habilitation in Cell Biology at the University of Freiburg and is currently Professor for Plant Scince and Bioengineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. The general objective of his research group, the BioActives lab, is to improve the performance and nutritional value of crops by genetic engineering or through application of growth regulators. His group combines enzymology-based, metabolomics and genetic approaches to elucidate metabolic networks and identify new signaling molecules related to abiotic/biotic stress and plant development, with focus on carotenoid and apocarotenoids. Salim Al-Babili has made essential contributions to engineering crops with enhanced pro-vitamin A content and to elucidating carotenoid/apocarotenoid metabolism in plants and microorganisms. His work on retinal biosynthesis in cyanobcateria led to the first structure elucidation of a carotenoid cleavage oxygenase. Through the discovery of carlactone, his research deciphered the core-pathway in the biosynthesis of the carotenoid-derived plant hormone strigolactone. In the last years, he has been focusing on the identification and biology of novel apocarotenoid growth regulators, which revealed the regulatory metabolite anchorene, and the hormone-candidate zaxinone and an epoxidase-independent route for abscisic acid biosynthesis. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and KAUST, he is currently heading an international consortium to combat the root parasitic plant Striga hermonthica, a major threat to global food security, in sub-Saharan Africa, by using hormone-based approaches based on his basic research. He has several patents and more than 150 peer reviewed papers.

Dr. Zeyad alZeyadi is a highly accomplished biotechnologist and esteemed faculty member at the College of Applied Medical Sciences. With a remarkable career dedicated to research and innovation, he currently holds the distinguished position of General Manager of the General Department of Research and Knowledge at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

Beyond his research achievements, Dr. alZeyadi's impact extends to his advisory role at the Ministry of Health's biosafety committee. As a trusted expert, he provides invaluable guidance on matters pertaining to the safe and ethical application of biotechnology. His unwavering commitment to promoting biosafety measures ensures the responsible utilization of emerging technologies, safeguarding both human welfare and the environment.

Jouke Campen became an engineer in Applied Physics at the Technical University of Delft, specialized in heat and mass transfer. He started working at Wageningen UR in 1997.

His main field of research is energy and climate control in protected horticulture.

Over the years he has become an expert in computational fluid dynamics calculations for greenhouses. He finished his PhD on dehumidification of greenhouses October 2009.

Currently he is the coordinator of the energy program of the ministry of Agriculture in The Netherlands involving annually 7 million EURO of projects on reducing energy use in the Dutch protected horticultural sector.

Aside of this task he is international project manager for the last 10 years working on numerous projects all around the world. 

Prof. Salah El-Hendawy obtained his PhD from the Department of Plant Sciences at the Technical University of Munich, Germany in 2004. He has held various faculty positions in the Agronomy Department at the Faculty of Agriculture at Suez Canal University from Demonstrator to Professor. He was awarded a postdoctoral scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in 2007 and the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) in 2009. Seconded to work as a professor in the Department of Plant Production at the College of Food and Agricultural Sciences - King Saud University in 2012 until now. He has published over 100 research articles in international scientific journals indexed in Q1 and Q2. He has been recognized among the top 2% of scientists worldwide for 2021 and 2022. His research focuses on enhancing irrigation water management and introducing innovative approaches to maximize irrigation water use for field crops in arid and semiarid conditions. Recent efforts have focused on non-destructive methods to accurately assess important traits of drought- and salt-affected genotypes under field conditions (Precision Phenotyping).

Independent consultant & former director of, the Water, Land, and Ecosystems Program, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Formerly, a distinguished professor of agricultural water management at Tottori University in Japan. Since 1991, worked for ICARDA as director, scientist, and research manager.  Earlier, worked for the University of Jordan, as an assistant prof. in irrigation and drainage engineering. Received BSc. degree in agriculture and MSc and Ph.D. in irrigation engineering from Utah State University, Utah, USA. Has over 40 years of experience and leadership in international research and development, capacity building, and agricultural water management. Worked in over 80 countries on implementing projects, training, and mobilizing funds for agricultural water management projects in developing countries. Author of 86 refereed journal publications, 13 books, 34 book chapters, and over 200 proceedings, reports, and awareness publications in the areas of water use efficiency, supplemental irrigation, water harvesting, water productivity, deficit irrigation, salinity, and the management of scarce water resources. Reviewer and member of editorial boards of several refereed journals.

Matthew McCabe is a Professor of Remote Sensing and Water Security and Director of the Climate and Liveability Initiative at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Matthew received his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Newcastle in Australia. Before coming to KAUST in 2012, he held research positions at Princeton University, Los Alamos National Laboratory and was an Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales. His research explores multi-disciplinary issues around water and food security, climate change impacts, precision agriculture, and water resources monitoring and modelling, focusing on the use of novel technologies for enhanced Earth observation and data-model integration. Prof McCabe has published more than 250 research papers and been recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher every year since 2019. He is the Section Chief Editor of Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and an Associate Editor of Remote Sensing. Prof McCabe was the recipient of the 2022 Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water. He is also a co-founder of SarSatX, a Saudi-based satellite and data-analytics company, and was responsible for the launch of Saudi Arabia’s first hyperspectral satellite in 2023. He is the coordinating editor of the recently published “Climate Futures: Saudi Arabia in a 3 degrees warmer world” report.

Dr. Pierre Broun is Director of Climate-Resilient Agriculture at NEOM, overseeing the development of sustainable, innovative and profitable farming systems to support food self-sufficiency at NEOM and food security for the country. 

Before joining NEOM, Dr. Broun held executive positions in the food industry to ensure sustainable agricultural supply, leading plant science and technology in large agri-food companies, including over 10 years as head of plant science at Nestlé. 

Dr. Broun started his career in biotechnology, both in industry and academia. 

He holds a PhD in plant breeding and biometry from Cornell University.

Professor Yakov Kuzyakov worked in various Soil and Environmental Science departments of universities and research institutes worldwide: Germany, USA, UK, Russia, and China. His expertise covers soil ecology, biogeochemistry, rhizosphere processes, C and N cycling, soil degradation, land use and agroecology. Methodical expertise is based on application of stable and radioactive isotopes at natural abundance and labeling. Yakov led research projects in many countries: Germany, China, Korea, Tanzania, Indonesia, Russia, and Chile. Together with his group, Yakov focuses on soil biogeochemistry with long-term and deep expertise for C and N cycles, priming effects, and nutrient mobilization. His special interests are soil-plant-microbial interactions in hotspots. His groundbreaking works are in the fields of rhizodeposition, low molecular weight organic substances, priming effects, visualization of enzyme activities, localization of root exudation. These processes are studied depending on land use and soil degradation, as well as such global change components as warming, drought, elevated CO₂. Yakov group made many innovative studies to pedogenic carbonates, biochar stability, competition of roots and microorganisms for nutrients, microbial metabolism in soil, effects of plant photosynthesis on CO₂ efflux from soil. The applied studies are focused on C sequestration, soil fertility improvements, and reforestation effects. To understand the process mechanisms, Yakov group use a broad range of stable (¹³C, ¹⁵N) and radioactive (¹⁴C, ³²P, ³³P, ¹³⁷Cs) isotopes applications including pioneering position specific labeling and combine these approaches with biomarkers (PLFA, amino sugars, neutral sugars) as well as microbial activity parameters (enzyme and respiratory activities, microbial growth). Yakov is an active member of several editorial boards, for top-ranked journals including Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Land Degradation and Development, Biogeosciences, Rhizosphere, Scientific Reports etc. He was awarded in 2015 the John Waid Award for Best Review Paper in Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 2016 the EGU Outstanding Editor Award etc. Yakov is Visiting Professor and has very close and intensive collaboration with various top universities and research institutes in China.       

Prof. Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Wabel, the driving force behind SBRG, is a well-known Environmental and Soil Scientist with significant contributions to the field of biochar research. Prof. Al-Wabel is an enthusiastic and visionary scientist leading various research projects to synthesize, characterize, and apply biochar to solve the critical issues of soil, environment, and climate. Due to his passion, innovation, and dedication, Prof. Al-Wabel has proved himself a game-changer for biochar research in Saudi Arabia and demonstrated impactful insights into environmental sustainability and carbon management research.

Prof. Mohammad I Al-Wabel works in the Department of Soil Sciences, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (KSU). His prominent research areas are the production of biochar-based low-cost adsorbents for environmental management, monitoring, modelling, soil and environment pollution assessment and remediation, carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation, and revitalization of abandoned soil.

Prof. Mohammad Al-Wabel received his Master's in Soil Sciences from KSU in 1995 and Ph.D. in Soil Chemistry from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA in 2001. He has served as the Chairman of the Department of Soil Sciences at KSU from 2008 to 2012 and from 2017 to 2018. He has also served as the Dean of the Deanship of Scientific Research at KSU from 2018-2022. He has supervised several Master's and Ph.D. theses research. Professor Al-Wabel has published more than 130+ research articles in peer-reviewed national and international journals and more than 8+ book chapters in various books. He has an H-index of 47+ with more than 8200+ citations. He has completed more than 20 research projects as P. I and Co-P.I. in various interdisciplinary subjects. Due to his research contributions, he has been awarded the Research Achievement Award, High-Impact Publication Award, and various other awards. 

Galvanized by the immense importance of biochar, Prof. Al-Wabel founded the SBRG in 2011. Under his leadership, the SBRG hasflourished and became the symbol of innovation in biochar research. Biochar can increase crop productivity by up to 25% by improving nutrient retention of soil by up to 50%, subsequently reducing fertilizer demands. Biochar can sequester substantial amounts of carbon in soil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%. Due to the significant importance of biochar for agriculture, climate, and the environment, the SBRG, under the leadership of Prof. Al-Wabel, is inspiring researchers, environmentalists, industrialists, and policymakers to adopt biochar technology to improve ecosystem health and mitigate climate change for future generations.

Ismail Cakmak earned his PhD at the University Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany, and full Professor at the Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey. Published over 240-peer-reviewed articles, named among the “highly cited researchers” by Clarivate Analytics (Thomson Reuters) and ranked   in the top 0.05 % of most influential scientists in all scientific disciplines in 2022 by Stanford University, based on Elsevier’s Scopus Database.

He has received IFA “International Crop Nutrition Award in 2005, Australian Crawford Fund “Derek Tribe Medal” in 2007, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation-Georg Forster Research Award in 2014, International Plant Nutrition Institute-IPNI Science Prize in 2016 and the World Academy of Sciences-Agricultural Science Prize in 2016.  He is an elected member of “The Academia Europaea” and “The Science Academy” of Turkey.

Joined International Centre for Bio-Saline Agriculture (ICBA), Dubai as Program Leader/section head of the Crop Diversity and Genetics group on 15th Nov 2018 after long stint in rice crop for abiotic stresses. Currently leading the specialized group working on use of suitable cropping solutions for very harsh marginal environments (salty water and soil, drought and high temperature) which is going to be much worsened in future due to climate change. Our major focus in middle east and north Africa (MENA), Central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), besides recent outreach to S and SE Asia as well.

Alanoud Alfagham is an assistant professor in Plant ecology and physiology at King Saud University (KSU). Her research focuses on how the global water shortage affects plant diversity, molecular biology, and physiology. She has published papers in high-impact scientific journals and conferences, and her contribution draws attention to the importance of leaf age consideration in plant drought resistance. She has been learning bioinformatics using advanced computer languages and programs. She aims to contribute to documenting Saudi wheat local cultivars as a highly genetic resource, which could pave the way for improving the physiological response to drought stress in wheat cultivars and informing the breeding programs.

Ali Al Lawati is a scientist in the field of Plant Genetic Resources and crop improvement. Currently, Al Lawati is Assistant Professor in Plant Genetics and Biotechnology in the University of Nizwa. Current, research activity is on the medicinal plants’ conservation and characterization. In addition, Al Lawati is managing the Seed genebank a collaborative project between Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Center and the University of Nizwa.

Al Lawati had BSc. (1990) and MSc. (1998) in Plant Sciences and Environment Sciences, respectively, from Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. he had a Ph.D. (2006) in Agronomy (Plant Breeding and Genetics) and minor in Experimental Statistics from New Mexico State University, U.S.A.

Dr. Ibrahim M. El-Ashmawy, a distinguished pharmacologist, currently holds the position of Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt. Since September 15, 2012, he has been affiliated with the College of Agricultural and Veterinary Medicine at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. He earned a B.V. Med. Sci. with honors in May 1984, followed by an MS in Pharmacology in 1988 and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology in 1991. Throughout his career, Dr. El-Ashmawy has held various positions, starting as a Demonstrator (1984-1988) in the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University. He progressed to become an Assistant Lecturer (1988-1991), Lecturer (1991-1995), Assistant Professor (1995-2000), and eventually a professor (2000- …). His teaching experiences include instructing undergraduate students in Pharmacology and Drug Toxicology. Additionally, he has taught advanced courses in Pharmacology and Toxicology to graduate students, guiding their research projects, and has supervised numerous Master Thesis and Ph.D. Dissertations (23 Master Theses and Ph.D. (10)). Dr. El-Ashmawy's academic and research experiences also extend abroad, where he served as a Visiting Professor at the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany, in 2000. Dr. El-Ashmawy has actively contributed to various scientific projects, partnering in endeavors such as antiviral activity of a newly formulated herbal mixture, therapeutic efficacy of Copper (I) nicotinate, development of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug from blue green algae, and more. Throughout his career, Dr. El-Ashmawy has received numerous awards, honors, and grants, including the State Prize for Scientific Encouragement in Agricultural Sciences (2000), Alexandria University Prize for Scientific Encouragement (2000), Alexandria University Prize for Scientific Excellence (2009), and the State Prize for Scientific Excellence (2010), among others. Dr. El-Ashmawy's contributions extend to conferences, where he has actively participated in both national and international events related to pharmacology and toxicology. His research interests cover a wide scope, including herbal medicine, heavy metals, drug safety assessment, teratology, male fertility, GC/MS analysis, pharmacodynamics, neuromuscular junction, pharmacogenetics, anti-inflammatory and analgesic screenings, and neuropharmacology. With a prolific academic career, Dr. Ibrahim M. El-Ashmawy continues to make significant contributions to the field of pharmacology and veterinary medicine.

Currently he is an Associate professor of Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology at King Saud University, College of Food and Agriculture Science, Plant Production Department.  He got his Engineer in Horticulture (1991) from ESH Chott-Mariem (TUNISIA), Master of Sciences (1993) in Plant Tissue culture and Genetic Engineering from ENSH Versailles (FRANCE), Doctor's degree (Ph.D.) (1998) in plant Biotechnology & cellular and molecular biology from INA-PG Paris Sud University, France.  He worked at INRA-Versailles (France) as Ph.D. Student, at ICGEB-New Delhi for two years as Post-Doc, at Center of Biotechnology of Sfax (Tunisia) for 10 years and from September 2010 to present he works at King Saud University. His Research Interest are Plant Molecular Biology and physiology (Plant Biotechnology, Biopharming, Abiotic stress tolerance), Plant Tissue culture genetic engineering, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), Genomics and Bioinformatics of extremophile plants as a sink for stress tolerant related genes, and Hydroponics/Aeroponics growing systems and Plant Growth-Promoting Microorganisms for Agriculture and Ecological Sustainability.

Hirt studied biochemistry at the Univ. of Cape Town and Vienna where he received his PhD in 1987. After post-doctoral fellowships at the Univ. of Oxford and Wageningen, he became Professor of Genetics at the Univ. of Vienna. In 2007, he was nominated Director of the INRAe Plant Genomics Institute in Paris and of the Center for Desert Agriculture at KAUST in 2014. Hirt has a long standing record on how plants can survive under abiotic or biotic stress conditions (more than 300 publications, h-index 95). His current research is focused on how plants can survive under abiotic or biotic stress conditions by identifying and using beneficial microbes of desert plants

He holds a Ph.D. in two distinct fields—firstly, in Biochemistry from the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, exploring the impact of lead exposure on oxidative stress, and subsequently, in Advanced Biotechnology and Biodiversity from the University of Silesia in Katowice, focusing on the root system development of Hordeum vulgare L. He received his master’s degree in biotechnology and biology and a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Silesia in Katowice. Professionally, he has held roles ranging from Head of Content and Co-Owner at Content Farmers Sp. z o.o. to serving as an Associate Editor at BioAgWorld Digest and a Sales Specialist at Przedsiębiorstwo ARKOP Sp. z o.o. He has experience in internships at renowned institutions globally, and has actively contributed to nine international research grants, authored a patent application, and published several articles in scientific journals and conference materials.

Northern Border University (Arar). Prof. Abdulhakim Bawadekji obtained his degree in Agricultural Sciences (1989-1993) from Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomiques (Montpellier - France). He is an ex-faculty member of, the Department of Horticulture, and ex-director of the edible mushroom research laboratory, the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Aleppo. (Aleppo, Syria). He is a professor at Northern Border University, College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences. He has published over 75 research articles in international scientific. He is a member of the editorial board of many international journals. His research focuses on studying native flora and native fungi of Northern Border Region (Arar - Saudi Arabia). Competing desertification and reforestation of arid zones via improving seedling quality in nurseries using endomycorrhizal inoculation of roots.

Ce Yang is an Associate Professor working on remote sensing for precision agriculture and high-throughput phenotyping at the University of Minnesota, USA. She leads the Agricultural Robotics Lab in the department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering to work on nutrient management, yield prediction and disease detection of staple food crops. The Ag Robotics Lab’s mission is to apply advanced ideas of robotics, remote sensing, data mining and information technology into precision agriculture. The core techniques they use include multispectral/hyperspectral imaging, spectroscopy, machine learning, geographic information system (GIS), digital mapping, biochemical sensing, etc. The tools available for carrying out her research are unmanned aerial vehicle, unmanned ground vehicle, video camera, multispectral camera, hyperspectral camera, DGPS, and various electrical, optical and chemical sensors. Ce Yang obtained her PhD degree in Agricultural Engineering and MS degree in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Florida.

Agricultural Engineer, PhD in Agricultural Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is a Professor at the University of São Paulo (USP), in the Department of Biosystems Engineering, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), in Piracicaba, São Paulo, since 1989, where he coordinates the Precision Agriculture Laboratory. He works at the interface between the area of Agricultural Machinery and Precision Agriculture, especially with crop and soil sensors, spatial variability, yield mapping and site specific application of inputs. He coordinated the Brazilian Congress of Precision Agriculture from its creation in 2004 until 2018

Francelino Rodrigues has been working in precision agriculture and remote sensing since 2004, including in his MSc, PhD and Postdoctoral studies. During his time, he has gained precision agriculture and remote sensing experience in contrasting cropping systems (coffee, sugarcane, cereals) in various countries (Brazil, Australia and Mexico) and at different spatio-temporal scales - from plot experiments towards small and commercial farming systems to regional scale. Before joining Lincoln Agritech in July 2021, he worked for around nine years at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). At CIMMYT he was involved in projects related to maize and wheat high throughput field phenotyping, and precision agriculture and remote sensing techniques applied to crop management at different spatial scales – executing field campaigns in countries in East Africa and South Asia and Mexico

Currently, he is Associate Professor (tenure track), Department of Plant Resources and Environment, Jeju National University, since2022. As well as He is a Member of European Cooperation in Science and Technology since 2022 and he is the CEO of Pytomix Corporation since 2021. He is Assistant Professor (tenure track), Department of Plant Resources and Environment, Jeju National University, 2018-2022. He worked on Plant Breeding and Genetics using conventional and modern methods with phenomics. He did Postdoctoral Research Associate, Plant Sciences Institute, Iowa State University, 2014-2016 with the Advisor: Professor Patrick Schnable. Develop field-based high throughput phenotyping system for corn using time lapse as a Project Lead. He Established multidisciplinary collaborations with several ISU departments and private company.

Prof. Dr. Khalid A. Al-Gaadi: Received a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from Colorado State University, USA, in 1998.  Currently working as a Full Professor in the Department of Agricultural Engineering in King Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).  His research interests include Agricultural Power and Machinery, with focus on Precision Agriculture (PA).  Established the Precision Agriculture Research Chair (PARC) in 2009 and currently working as the Chair Director.  He is the representative of KSA in the International Society for Precision Agriculture and is a member of many international and local scientific societies.  He has published more than 75 scientific papers in refereed scientific journals and participated in more than 25 international scientific conferences related to his research interests. Prof. Al-Gaadi is a co-researcher for a number of current and previous research funded projects.  He supervised a number of graduate students in the field of PA and agricultural machinery. 

Scientist (Seed and rangeland ecology), International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), ICARDA-UAE country manager and Arabian Peninsula Regional Program Coordinator. Seed technologist and Rangeland Ecologist with a PhD degree from the Wageningen University, the Netherlands.  35 years of experience working on seed science and technology and rangeland monitoring, restoration, and management, and community-based rehabilitation. Currently the Manager of the ICARDA United Arab Emirates Office and the Arabian Peninsula Regional Program. With a track record in leadership and program management at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), he currently works as the ICARDA UAE Office Manager and Coordinator of the ICARDA Arabian Peninsula Regional Program since 2020. Since 2022, he also led the ICARDA component of the One CGIAR Initiative on Nature Positive Solutions in Agriculture. From 2016 to 2021, he actively participated in implementing the seed system development and diversification component of the CRP-Wheat and coordinated the Iran-ICARDA food security project. Earlier, he led the ICARDA International Nurseries Program from 2007 to 2016 and led the seed component of the Water Productivity Improvement of Cereals and Food Legumes Challenge Program in the Atbara Basin of Eritrea from 2008 to 2010.

Dr. Essam holds a Bachelor degree in Chemistry from King Saud University, a Master degree in Physical Chemistry from Manchester University in UK and a PhD degree in Thermo-Chemistry from Leeds University in UK.

Dr. Essam is a Research Fellow at SABIC Agri Nutrients Company.  He has been holding the position of Senior Manager for Agri Nutrients Technology & Innovation (T&I) Specialty department since 2016. Prior to this, he has been holding many management positions within SABIC T&I.

Dr Zainab Oyetunde-Usman is a Research Social Scientist with background in agricultural and behavioural economics. She completed her Ph.D. at the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich and her research interestingly focused on the Impact and behavioural analysis of the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among farm households in developing countries using various adoption probabilities, impact, and behavioural analysis techniques. She currently works at the Net-Zero and Resilient Farming Department at Rothamsted Research, UK, contributing to the social advancement of improved techniques for tackling climate issues. Her research aims are tailored to providing evidence-based policy intervention that increases resilience and minimises the farming population's vulnerability

Ashok Kumar Are obtained his Ph D from Division of Genetics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and completed certification courses in Data-driven decisions, Product Management and Leading the Organization from the Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Queensland. Currently he is working as Director, a.i. Regional Program –Asia, Cluster Leader – Seed systems, and Product Placement Lead -Asia at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semiarid Tropics (ICRISAT), India. He has >23 years of research experience in genetics, plant breeding for developing improved breeding processes and market-preferred cultivars in various crops, particularly the sorghum and castor that resulted in release of more than 100 cultivars in 15 countries. Deploying data-driven decisions in breeding is one of the core areas of his work. Since 2006, his major focus is on modernizing the breeding programs, developing innovative approaches that enhance rate of genetic gain in crops for various end uses and in developing innovative seed systems for rapid replacement of farmers’ varieties. He is currently providing vision and operational plans for the Regional Program -Asia that works with three global research programs at ICRISAT in co-designing and co-creation of new knowledge, products and technologies and their dissemination. He led the projects on biofortifying sorghum with higher grain Zn and Fe and developing sorghums amenable for first (1G) and second generation (2G) bioenergy production besides forage sorghum. He served as an International Consultant to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the UN in Sudan, Namibia, and Austria. He has guided 10 Ph D students and published 98 journal articles, 45 book chapters, 50 conference papers and co-authored 8 books.

Dato’ Dr Mohamad Zabawi expertise includes soil science (soil conservation), agroecological zonation, climate change, green technology, and water stress physiology. Dato’ Dr Mohamad Zabawi obtained his PhD in Water Stress Physiology and MSc in Tropical Agriculture from The Reading Unversity in 2006 and 1993, and his BSc in Agriculture Science (Major in Soil Physic and Conservation) from Universiti Putra Malaysia in 1988. He is the Chairman of the vulnerability and adaptation of agriculture to climate change for the Third National Communication. He is also a member for Academy of Sciences Malaysia Water and Climate Change Task Force, committee member for Research and Innovation in Green Technology and Climate Change, committee member for Adaptation in Green Technology and Climate Change.

Josef Soukup is a Professor and Head of the Department of Agroecology and Crop Production at the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic. He currently serves as the Dean of that Faculty. He has established and lead a local weed research group with extensive collaborations with leading domestic and international research institutions, industry, and farmer´s associations. His recent research areas are the herbicide resistance, herbicide tolerant crops and co-existence of GM and non-GM cropping systems. His group is steadily involved in many research projects financially supported by different grant agencies and industry. Josef Soukup serves as President of the European Weed Research Society in 2022-2023 and maintains networking with other weed science and crop protection societies. 

Dr. Johan A. Stenberg is a Professor in Integrated Plant Protection and Director of the SLU Center for Biological Control.

Dr. Mudasir Gani is working as Assistant Professor at Division of Entomology, Faculty of Horticulture, SKUAST-K, Shalimar, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India. He had completed Ph.D. Entomology from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir India and Post-Doc from Institute for Biological Control, Julius Kuhn Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Germany. He has a very good experience on mass rearing techniques of insect parasitoids and predators - their field evaluation and impact assessment; host-pathogen interactions and molecular aspects of entomology. He has guided 07 Masters student’s and co-guided 3 doctoral students in the discipline of Agricultural Entomology. He has published more than 25 research papers in high impact factor journals in the discipline of Entomology in general and insect pathology in particular.

Hessel van der Heide is a Technical Researcher Entomology at the business unit Greenhouse Horticulture part of Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands. He specializes in biological control of pests in greenhouse crops, varying from food crops to (cut)flowers. He has worked on a wide variety of pests, including stinkbugs, aphids, thrips, whiteflies, and others. In addition to pests, he has also worked with various biological control agents, supplementary foods to create so called “standing armies” of biological control agents and predatory mites. Currently he works a lot on banker plant systems to get an early establishment of biological control agents or to support biological control agents to establish under suboptimal conditions.

Dr. Luma Al -Banna is a Professor in the Department of Plant Protection, School of Agriculture, University of Jordan since 1996. She received a B.S. in Plant Production and Plant Protection from University of Jordan in 1981 and her M.S. & Ph.D. in Plant Pathology/Nematology from University of California, Davis, in 1992 and 1996, respectively.  Formerly, Al-Banna served as the department head of Plant Protection and at present, she is the Assistant Dean for Alumni Affairs at the School of Agriculture, University of Jordan. She is currently appointed as an ambassador of University of Bonn, Germany in Jordan.  Her areas of research interests include nematode systematics, epidemiology, and management of plant diseases. Luma was a visiting Scientist at UC Davis, UC Riverside, and University of Bonn. Al-Banna has published numerous articles and manuscripts in several international journals, including Australasian Plant Pathology, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Crop Protection, Journal of Nematology, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Nematologia Mediterrenea, Phytopathologia Mediterranea, and Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. She has supervised/co-supervised 12 MSc students, 5 PhD students, and teaches courses in plant pathology/nematology at the undergraduate and graduate levels for almost 27 years at the University of Jordan.

Abdo Hassoun is the founder of Sustainable AgriFoodtech Innovation & Research (SAFIR), a non-profit research organization that works in collaboration with other notable partners to contribute to addressing food sustainability issues and making food healthier and more affordable. He completed his Ph.D. in 2016 in France and carried out his postdoctoral research work at the Norwegian Food Research Institute (Nofima). Dr. Hassoun has also experience from the University of the Littoral Opal Coast in France (ULCO). He has been among the first researchers who have explored the potential of Industry 4.0 and emerging technologies in agriculture and the food industry. He serves as an Editorial Board Member and Guest Editor of several international journals and has contributed to numerous scientific publications.

Dr. Salah bin Muhammad Abdulaziz Al-Eid is currently a Professor of Food Science and Technology at the College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University. He holds a Ph.D. in Grain Science and Technology from Kansas State University in the USA. Dr. Al-Eid's extensive contributions and publication, exceeds fifty research papers. Additionally, he holds three granted US patents. His commitment to excellence in scientific research has been recognized through the prestigious Al-Marai Scientific Creativity Award. In terms of leadership and governance, Dr. Al-Eid is an esteemed member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority since 2021. He also contributes to the agricultural sector as a member of the Board of Directors of the Agricultural Development Fund, a role he has held since 2020. Furthermore, he is a board member of the Research Excellence Center for Palm and Dates at King Faisal University since 2022. Internationally, Dr. Al-Eid has engaged in collaborative research projects with esteemed institutions. Notable among these is his collaboration with Inner Mongolia Agricultural University in China, focusing on the potential of fresh and fermented camel milk as a source of probiotics (2022 – 2024). His international collaborations also include partnerships with the University of Lorraine and the Higher Agricultural Institute in France, where he worked on the production of the antibiotic Streptomycin from dates using fermentation technology (2013 – 2018). Additionally, he collaborated with Michigan State University in the USA on projects related to biofuel production from dates (2012-2014) and X-ray irradiation of dates (2010). Dr. Salah bin Muhammad Abdulaziz Al-Eid's impactful contributions to academia, research, and international collaborations underscore his dedication to advancing the fields of Food Science and Technology.

Emeritus professor, faculty of Agriculture,  professor, Arid Lands Agricultural studies and Research Institute, Ain Shams university

He started his career after graduation from Cairo University, faculty of Agriculture working as assistant researcher in the National Research Center. After being granted the Ph.D. degree, he was appointed as lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the faculty of agriculture, Ain Shams University. His career continued ever since as associate professor, then full professor and head of Horticulture Department, then Emeritus Professor at Ain Shams University till the moment.

Dr. Dinesh Chauhan is the Vice President of Projects and Partnerships at DeHaat, a prominent agri-tech firm in India, serving more than two million farmers. With a remarkable 22-year career in the agriculture and agribusiness sector, Dr. Chauhan has held various high-level positions encompassing academics, consulting, sales, and business development. His expertise spans farm solutions, large-scale modern farming, supply chain management, business development, and structured trade finance.

Dr. Chauhan boasts an impressive educational background with a PhD in Management, an MBA in Agribusiness Management, an MSc in Food Technology, and a BSc in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.

Dr. Stella Despoudi is Senior Lecturer in Food Supply Chain Management & Logistics at the University of Western Macedonia, in Greece. Prior to this Stella has been working for Aston Business School, Coventry University and for Loughborough University’s School of Business & Economics. She holds a PhD in Food Operations and Supply Chain Management from Loughborough University’s School of Business and Economics. 

Stella’s research expertise lies in the following research areas: Circular food supply chains, supply chain resilience, industry 5.0, honey supply chain, food waste and food sustainability. Currently she works on multi-partner projects related to food supply chain resilience, climatic changes, and Industry 5.0. She also works as food supply chain consultant and she is co-owner of a honey processing company called Melizin

Adil Abdelnour is an interdisciplinary scientist and advisor; he works on issues related to water management and environmental policy, specially focused on how to mainstream sustainable agricultural development concepts and applications as related to judicious use of natural resource, sustainable food systems and development of non-conventional water resources.

Dr. Abdelnour works in Saudi Arabia as a consultant at ministry of municipalities, Qassim University and lastly as a technical advisor for the National Research and Development Center (Estidamah). He had been working for some international organizations and private sector companies. His professional interests include environmental policies for sustainable water management, policy research and institutional capacity development for transformation to sustainable management of natural resources. His current interests revolve around water – waste – energy – food nexus.

Dr. Abdelnour delivers many presentations and offer lectures in areas of environmental impacts of unsustainable agricultural practices of Saudi agri-food system, how to shift from resource sufficiency to resource efficiency.

Graduated 2008 from faculty of veterinary medicine. Work in poultry production more than 10 years as poultry consultant. Hold master’s degree in Black solider fly larvae extract. In 2016, he started his journey with breeding insects, especially black soldier fly, where he moved the production from laboratory to the commercial level, founded EGYMAG Biotechnology Company, 1st MENA Biotechnology company, developed indoor Breeding system, Vertical insect protein production Solution (using Black solider fly larvae) less land, water and Energy usage, transforming organic residue to protein and unique organic fertilizers.

Dr. Abdallah Soubhy Ali is currently an Associate professor of Microbiology at Cairo University in Egypt and a scientific team leader at Anhui University of Technology in China. He earned his Bachelor of Biotechnology at Cairo University, Egypt, in 2001, and his M.Sc. in Environmental Microbiology at the same University, in 2007 and his PhD in Microbial Biotechnology from the Technical University of Munich, Germany in 2015. In his thesis work he pioneered the biorefinery and bioconversion of lignocellulosic material to produce high-valuable products and by-products and applied this to study on different agricultural and agro-industrial wastes to get the maximum benefits form these residues with zero waste processes.

Dr Abed Alaswad is an established researcher in sustainable energy systems with a focus on waste to energy techniques. He is the Director of the Engineering for Sustainable Development Research Center at Aston University in the United Kingdom.  He has a track record of leading/ contributing to research projects as funded by (EPSRC, KTP, ETP, GCRF, RAEng) working along with partners from the UK, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. Dr Alaswad is an Editorial Board Member for the Science of the Total Environment (IF: 10.753, Citescore: 14.1) and reviews for the Prestigious Newton Fund Prize.

Dr. Kakoli Ghosh works for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and specializes in sustainable agriculture, agrobiodiversity and food security. She is the Chief Technical Adviser, Sustainable Rural Agriculture Development Program of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where FAO is providing technical and advisory assistance for strengthening agricultural productivity, natural resource management and value addition of commodities for rural development. Dr. Ghosh has extensive experience in dealing with issues and challenges facing agriculture development around the world. Throughout her career, she was based in the FAO Headquarters in Rome, where she held a range of important positions in Plant Production and Protection Division, Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, FAO’s Strategic Program on Sustainable Food and Agriculture and Partnerships and Cooperation Division.

Cecilia Stanghellini, an Italian physicist with a Dutch PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has been working at Wageningen University and Research Centre (the Netherlands) for more than 30 years, on the resource use and management of greenhouses in wet and dry climates. Major topics are: greenhouse climate simulation and management; crop yield and resource use efficiency; economy and environmental impact of greenhouse crops. She is [co]author of more than 300 publications including a recent textbook on greenhouse technology.

She has lead several large international projects, financed by the European Union, governments and large companies in Europe, Latin America, and Africa on the topic of efficient greenhouse vegetable production and capacity building.

Prof. Dr. Nazim Gruda, University of Bonn, Germany, is a globally renowned authority in horticulture. He is Vice-Chair of the Division of Vegetables, Roots, and Tubers within the International Society for Horticultural Science. For his outstanding work, he received the "Dr Heinrich-Baur-Prize", from the Technical University of Munich and the "National Scientific Prize" from the Academy of Science of Albania. His influential research places him in the top 2% of global scientists, according to Stanford University. He is a member, an Honorary Member, and a Correspondent of three European Academies, and a "Distinguished Scientist" of the Academy of Science of China.

Dr. Michael Salvador has over 15 years of experience in basic research and R&D and a proven track record in developing solar technologies, with emphasis on thin-film, flexible photovoltaics. Michael holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Cologne, Germany. Previously, he has held research positions at universities in the USA and Germany, including Caltech, University of Washington, and University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. In 2019 he took on the role as Principal Technology Lead of the KAUST Solar Center. Michael is also the CEO of Mirai Solar, a startup developing renewable energy solutions that capitalizes on the need for shade. During the last three years he has led Mirai Solar from an R&D project into a full-scale startup with manufacturing capabilities and pilot demonstrations. Michael has contributed to several patents for solar devices including those forming the intellectual property of Mirai Solar. 

Prof. Abdullah is currently a Professor of Horticulture in the Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences at King Saud University.  He earned his BSc. From King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with first degree honor, MSc. Degree from the University of California, Davis, CA, USA and PhD degree from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.

 His Professional Experience extend to administrative and academic fields. He is currently a representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Council of the International Society for Horticultural Sciences. He is also amember of the judging committee for the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity in King Abdulaziz and his Companions for Giftedness and Creativity.  He was a board member of the National Center for the Research and Development in Sustainable Agriculture (ISTIDAMAH). He was the founder dean of the College of Scientific and Humanitarian Studies in Alghat City, Almajmaa University.   He was a consultant in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.  He served as a Chairman of the Department of Plant Production,  President, Saudi Society for Agricultural Sciences, Board member of the Saudi Biological Society. Deputy Dean and Dean of the College of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Director of the Agricultural Research and Experiment Station.  He earned Al-Marai Prize for Scientific Innovation / Creative Work in Plant   Production from AlMarai Agricultural Company and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.  He also had the award for outstanding research publication at King Saud University and outstanding reviewer award from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.

He has published more than 110 Arabic and English articles and authored or translated 12 books or book chapters.  He conducted more than 12 research projects and currently working in 3 projects.  He supervised and co- supervised 32 MsC and PhD students in King Saud university and local and international universities.  His main research interests are protected environment agriculture, environmental stress physiology and use of sustainable and renewable energy in food production.

Dr. Jung Eek Son is a professor emeritus and senior researcher at Seoul National University, Republic of Korea. He works for greenhouse horticulture, vertical farm, and smart farming, particularly on recycled soilless culture, canopy photosynthesis modelling, supplemental inter-lighting, light use efficiency, AI and 3D plant modeling. He published about 230 scientific papers and books; and received academic achievement awards and government-level honors. He served presidents of Korean Societies of Horticultural Science, Bio-environmental control, Vertical Farm Research & Industry, and a WG chair of Integrated Production System (ISHS). He was a convener of GreenSys2013 and is a co-convener of LightSym2024 (Korea).

(Affiliation)

Professor emeritus in Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources and Senior researcher in Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Korea.

Muien Qaryouti has obtained his PhD, 2001, from the Jordan University, in horticulture science.

He started his career as a researcher at the National Agricultural Research Centre since 1992, Amman.

He became a Director for the Irrigated Agriculture Research Program during 2004- 2012, and the Director of Horticultural Research between 2012-2016. Qaryouti continued his career as a Director General Assistant for Research, 2016- 2017, and Deputy Director General.

Besides, he was a member and coordinator of the FAO Regional Working Group on Greenhouse Crop Production in the Mediterranean Region, 2006-2012. Member of the international Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS).

Currently, Qaryouti joined NATIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE (ESTIDAMAH) since 2018.

He is expertise is in crop management in protected agriculture, application of different growing media, resilience abiotic stresses, marketing management and international cooperation. 

Professor of Water Resources at the regional Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Bahrain. He serves as the coordinator of the Water Resources Management Graduate Program and the coordinator of the UN Water Learning Center for the Arab Region hosted by the AGU, and serves as a member of the Permanent Advisory Committee of the Water Resources Council in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He obtained his PhD from Colorado State University in 1990 in the field of groundwater systems mathematical modeling. He teaches graduate courses in Hydrogeology and Water Resources Development, Management and Planning in Arid Regions; has published more than 100 research papers in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, conferences, and seminars;, and supervised more than 45 MSc and PhD theses

Prof. Mohamed Ouessar has a doctorate in Applied Biological Sciences (Land management) from the University of Ghent in Belgium. He is currently a senior researcher at the Arid Zone Research Institute (Tunisia).

He has contributed actively to the realization of numerous joint research projects funded by national and international agencies. His research programs focused mainly on water harvesting, GIS based hydrological modeling and decision support systems, impact assessment, watershed management, climate change impacts and adaptation, combating desertification and drylands management.

He contributed also to the training and capacity building through supervision of trainees and students of all levels from national and international centers and organizations and universities

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Dr. Naser Edin Obeid is the Director General of The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands "ACSAD" from 2020 to date. He holds a PhD in agricultural and environmental economics. He held many positions, such as

Assistant Director General of the ACSAD  2014-2020.

Director of Administrative and Financial department at ACSAD, 1996-2020.

Director of the Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in the Syrian Arab Republic 1993-1995.

During his work at ACSAD, he participated in:

Preparing the ten-year strategies of ACSAD, (1998-2008) (2010-2020).

Preparing the annual plans of ACSAD from 1996 to date.

Preparing the Arab strategy for agricultural development for the years 2009-2025, which was approved by the Arab Summit in its 20th session.

Preparing the financial and accounting system for joint Arab action organizations 2000 (League of Arab States). Member of many scientific and technical committees and participated and lectured in tens of regional and international conferences.

He has many scientific publications in the fields of environmental economics and combating desertification. Chief Editor of the Arab Journal of Arid Environments, published by ACSAD.

David Mulla has been the Larson Chair and Professor for Soil & Water Resources in the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota since 1995.  

He received a Ph.D. degree in Agronomy from Purdue University with emphasis in soil physics.

He was a Professor in the Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences from 1983-1995 at Washington State Univ.

Dr. Mulla’s research emphasizes precision agriculture, land management and water quality modeling, ecosystem services, and international agricultural development.

Dr. Mulla is a Fellow in the Soil Science Society of America, and the Agronomy Society of America.

H.E Dr. Abdulaziz Almalik ,Deputy minister for research and innovation for the Ministry for Environment Water and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia

Abdulaziz Almalik is the deputy minister for research and innovation at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia. Prior to joining MEWA, he served as vice-president for scientific research support, vice-president for innovation and technology commercialisation, director of the Life Sciences and Environmental Research Institute, vice-chair of the Scientific Council, and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (2015-23). He was also a senior adviser to the governor and a founding member of the founding team of the Research, Development and Innovation Authority. He has extensive experience in developing and managing national-scale RDI initiatives backed by knowledge of intellectual property generation, acquisition, management and strong academic credentials.

Since 2017, working as Regional Officer for Plant Protection and Production (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the Near East and North Africa Region), he is currently leading the plant protection activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization in the Near East and North Africa.

·       Responsible for guiding FAO's response to regional and national priorities for food security, Pest and Pesticide management, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities in NENA region.

·       Lead the regional and national dialogue with high level authority and planning for the need and implementation of NENA counties for sustainable management and development in food safety and security focusing on plant health and plant production.

·       Lead seed management and genetic resource conservation, as well as, the regional strategy to control Transboundary Plant Pests and Diseases. At the same time, he works for the implementation process of innovative monitoring, early warning, forecasting, rapid response for plant pest and disease.

·       Plan and lead the implementation process of national and regional communication and capacity development to promote sustainable and environmentally sound management and control techniques.

Mr. Yaseen worked for 18 years as a professor of plant pathology at CIHEAM: International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies, Bari Italy, and he obtained a professor's degree at the National Research Institute in Rome - Italy. (Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology). Professor Yaseen has supervised more than 14 doctoral degree and more than 52 master's degrees in disease and pest control science. Professor Yaseen has published more than 124 scientific papers, including 50 papers published in internationally refereed journals, 70 research papers in conference publications, and 6 scientific books.

Aly Abousabaa is CGIAR’s Regional Director, Central and West Asia and North Africa, as well as Director-General of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).
He is a strategic leader in sustainable development, climate change advocacy, and agriculture research in the global dry regions.
Prior to joining CGIAR to head ICARDA, Aly was Vice President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). He led the preparation and execution of the bank’s key strategies in agriculture, water, natural resources management, climate change, infrastructure, women, youth, and governance. Through mobilizing and managing a portfolio of USD 11 billion, his work made a transformational impact on the lives of millions of people across Africa. Aly also helped coordinate climate change negotiations in Africa and acted as Gender Champion. He serves on several international boards such as the board of governors at the Arab Water Council and the Board of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation.

Ms. Yüksel Tüzel graduated from Ege University in 1981 with an MSc degree and received her PhD in in 1989. Between 1983 and 1984 she was employed by the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry and thereafter became Research Assistant at the Faculty of Agriculture of Ege University. She became Associate Professor in 1992. Since 1998 she has been working at the Horticulture Department of the Agricultural Faculty of Ege University as a Full Professor. Prof. Tüzel was a Visiting Scientist at Horticultural Research International in Littlehampton, United Kingdom, April-September 1988, and at Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands, January-June 2012.

Her expertise is in development of vegetable production technologies in greenhouses. She has worked on soilless culture systems, irrigation and fertilization management, abiotic stress response and grafting. In 2000 she started to work on organic greenhouse vegetable production.

Prof. Tüzel has lectured on protected cultivation to undergraduate and postgraduate students. She has supervised Masters and PhD students and conducted international and national projects. She has authored more than 300 scientific articles in SCI journals, national refereed journals, international and national symposia, books and chapters. Prof. Tüzel was the member of FAO Regional Working groups on Protected Cultivation. She served as the ISHS President between 2018 and 2022.

Professor at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). He received a Bachelor’s degree from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, a Master’s degree from King Saud University in 2007, and a Ph.D. in 2013 from Swansea University, UK, in the field of water treatment.

Currently, He leads the Sustainability and Environment Sector at KACST as Vice President of the Sustainability and Environment Sector. Dr. Alkhudhiri held several administrative positions as the manager of the National Center for Nanotechnology, manager of the National Center for Desalination and Water Treatment, and manager of the National Center for Chemical Technologies. Participated as a member of the local expert team in preparing a report on future technologies for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia issued by KACST in 2021. Dr. Alkhudhiri has also carried out many research projects in the field of desalination and water treatment, and he was a member of several water treatment committees.

Maha M. Khayyat is a research professor of physics of semiconductors at the Energy and Industry Sector, King Abdulaziz Cityfor science and Technology (KACST). She received her PhD from Cavendish laboratory, University of Cambridge. She worked at several technically prestigious labs, including Nanoscience Center, Cambridge, T. J.Watson Research Center of IBM, and Center of Clean Water and Energy, Mechanical Engineering Department, MIT.

Dr. Felwa Abdullah Thagfan holds a Ph.D. in parasitology. Her academic journey began with a BSc.in Zoology from Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, followed by a Master of Science in Zoology from King Saud university and subsequent doctoral studies. Her teaching experience spans various levels, including a health education instructor at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, teaching assistant positions at both Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman and King Saud universities, then become an Assistant Professor at biology department at princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman university and later an Associate Professor of Parasitology. Her leadership roles at princess Nourah bint Abdulrhman university include serving as the Former Head of research and innovation unit, Former Head of the Scientific Journals Unit, and Former Managing Editor of Biodiversity Research Journal. Currently, she serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Science at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University.

Dr. Thagfan is a member of the Australian Society for Parasitology. Her published works concentrate on the utilization of natural plants in treating parasitic diseases, notably focusing on the indigenous flora of Saudi Arabia.

He holds a doctorate in analytical chemistry and materials chemistry from Oklahoma State University, USA, in 2006. He works in the field of environmental research and the development of separation technologies. He also works on developing materials with high surface areas for multiple uses in environmental, energy and water research.

The founding supervisor of the Advanced Materials Research Chair and head of the Chromatography Research Group, he supervised 12 master’s students, and 8 doctoral students, and with the participation of his colleagues and students, he published more than 200 research papers published in prestigious international scientific journals, 18 patents, and translated a book specialized in chromatography.

A founding member of the Gulf Chemists Union, he is also a member of the Arab Chemists Union and the Asian Chemists Union.

He received many local, regional and international awards and was ranked among the most cited scientists for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022.

He currently works as Dean, College of Science at KSU and Chairman of Saudi Chemical Society.

 EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: 

• PhD in International Agricultural Development from Tokyo University of Agriculture. Japan. 
• Master of Science Diploma in Plant Breeding from the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies- Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Saragossa (CIHEAM-IAMZ). Spain. 
• Diploma of Specialized Post-Graduate Studies in Plant Breeding from International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies- Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Saragossa. (CIHEAM-IAMZ). Spain. 
• Agricultural Engineer Diploma from Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (IAV Hassan II). Rabat. Morocco 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 

• Chief of Farming at Al Madinah Heritage Company. (2023-Now)
• Agricultural Expert at the National Center for Palms & Dates. Riyadh. (2022-2023) 
• R&D and Projects Manager at Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group). Saudi Arabia and Quality Manager at ASYLA Gum Co Ltd. Senegal (Feb 2020-2022). 
• R&D, Organic project and Quality Manager at Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Saudi Arabia (June 2019-Feb 2020) and Quality Manager at ASYLA Gum Co Ltd. Senegal. Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group) (Feb 2020-Now) • R&D Manager. Yousef Abdul Latif and Sons Agriculture (YALA). Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel Group (YALJ Group). Saudi Arabia (2010- June 2019) 
• Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Sciences and Techniques (FST)-University of Kadi Ayyad. Beni Mellal. Morocco (2002-2010) 
• Research scientist at the Biotechnology Unit, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, INRA (National Institute of Agronomic Research). Morocco. Rabat (2008-2010) 
• Manager of the Department of Technical Education, Vocational Training, Research and Development at the Regional Directorate of Agriculture in Tadla. Morocco (2008-2010) 
• Manager of the Regional Department of Certification of Seed and Nurseries. Beni Mellal. Morocco (2000-2008) 
• Controller of seeds and nurseries at the Regional Department of Certification of Seed and Nurseries. Beni Mellal. Morocco (1997-2000) 
• Farm Manager of Haddawi Farms. Larache. Morocco. (1995-1997) 

Woody possesses over 16 years of experience in designing and implementing collaborations in both private and public sector in the areas of outcome-driven transformation, strategic advisory, delivery unit design and activation.

His experience covers organizations in various countries in SE Asia, Middle East, and Africa, and he has previously advised Ministers on National Level initiatives in these countries. 

In NEOM Food, Woody is responsible for building and maintaining synergistic strategic initiatives with key public sector partners, stakeholders, and other entities within the food ecosystem in NEOM and KSA, particularly in the areas of regulations, innovation, research and talent pipeline development."

PhD from Auburn University, Alabama, 2016.

He held a number of administrative positions at King Faisal University and represented the university in the National Dialogue Workshop for Sustainable Food Systems in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as in a workshop for the G20 meeting entitled: Water, Energy and Food. In addition to a number of international conferences, he also worked in a number of committees within the university and at the Kingdom level, and is Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the International Conference on Food Security and Environmental Sustainability. He currently works as an associate professor at King Faisal University and holds the position of Dean of the College of Agricultural and Food Sciences since 2019.

Salim Al-Babili received his PhD from the University Freiburg, Germany. After his PhD, he obtained a Rockefeller Post-Doc fellowship to work on developing “Golden Rice” in the lab of Peter Beyer and in collaboration with Ingo Potrykus. In 2007, he received his Habilitation in Cell Biology at the University of Freiburg and is currently Professor for Plant Scince and Bioengineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. The general objective of his research group, the BioActives lab, is to improve the performance and nutritional value of crops by genetic engineering or through application of growth regulators. His group combines enzymology-based, metabolomics and genetic approaches to elucidate metabolic networks and identify new signaling molecules related to abiotic/biotic stress and plant development, with focus on carotenoid and apocarotenoids. Salim Al-Babili has made essential contributions to engineering crops with enhanced pro-vitamin A content and to elucidating carotenoid/apocarotenoid metabolism in plants and microorganisms. His work on retinal biosynthesis in cyanobcateria led to the first structure elucidation of a carotenoid cleavage oxygenase. Through the discovery of carlactone, his research deciphered the core-pathway in the biosynthesis of the carotenoid-derived plant hormone strigolactone. In the last years, he has been focusing on the identification and biology of novel apocarotenoid growth regulators, which revealed the regulatory metabolite anchorene, and the hormone-candidate zaxinone and an epoxidase-independent route for abscisic acid biosynthesis. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and KAUST, he is currently heading an international consortium to combat the root parasitic plant Striga hermonthica, a major threat to global food security, in sub-Saharan Africa, by using hormone-based approaches based on his basic research. He has several patents and more than 150 peer reviewed papers.

Dr. Zeyad alZeyadi is a highly accomplished biotechnologist and esteemed faculty member at the College of Applied Medical Sciences. With a remarkable career dedicated to research and innovation, he currently holds the distinguished position of General Manager of the General Department of Research and Knowledge at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

Beyond his research achievements, Dr. alZeyadi's impact extends to his advisory role at the Ministry of Health's biosafety committee. As a trusted expert, he provides invaluable guidance on matters pertaining to the safe and ethical application of biotechnology. His unwavering commitment to promoting biosafety measures ensures the responsible utilization of emerging technologies, safeguarding both human welfare and the environment.

Jouke Campen became an engineer in Applied Physics at the Technical University of Delft, specialized in heat and mass transfer. He started working at Wageningen UR in 1997.

His main field of research is energy and climate control in protected horticulture.

Over the years he has become an expert in computational fluid dynamics calculations for greenhouses. He finished his PhD on dehumidification of greenhouses October 2009.

Currently he is the coordinator of the energy program of the ministry of Agriculture in The Netherlands involving annually 7 million EURO of projects on reducing energy use in the Dutch protected horticultural sector.

Aside of this task he is international project manager for the last 10 years working on numerous projects all around the world. 

Prof. Salah El-Hendawy obtained his PhD from the Department of Plant Sciences at the Technical University of Munich, Germany in 2004. He has held various faculty positions in the Agronomy Department at the Faculty of Agriculture at Suez Canal University from Demonstrator to Professor. He was awarded a postdoctoral scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in 2007 and the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) in 2009. Seconded to work as a professor in the Department of Plant Production at the College of Food and Agricultural Sciences - King Saud University in 2012 until now. He has published over 100 research articles in international scientific journals indexed in Q1 and Q2. He has been recognized among the top 2% of scientists worldwide for 2021 and 2022. His research focuses on enhancing irrigation water management and introducing innovative approaches to maximize irrigation water use for field crops in arid and semiarid conditions. Recent efforts have focused on non-destructive methods to accurately assess important traits of drought- and salt-affected genotypes under field conditions (Precision Phenotyping).

Independent consultant & former director of, the Water, Land, and Ecosystems Program, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Formerly, a distinguished professor of agricultural water management at Tottori University in Japan. Since 1991, worked for ICARDA as director, scientist, and research manager.  Earlier, worked for the University of Jordan, as an assistant prof. in irrigation and drainage engineering. Received BSc. degree in agriculture and MSc and Ph.D. in irrigation engineering from Utah State University, Utah, USA. Has over 40 years of experience and leadership in international research and development, capacity building, and agricultural water management. Worked in over 80 countries on implementing projects, training, and mobilizing funds for agricultural water management projects in developing countries. Author of 86 refereed journal publications, 13 books, 34 book chapters, and over 200 proceedings, reports, and awareness publications in the areas of water use efficiency, supplemental irrigation, water harvesting, water productivity, deficit irrigation, salinity, and the management of scarce water resources. Reviewer and member of editorial boards of several refereed journals.

Matthew McCabe is a Professor of Remote Sensing and Water Security and Director of the Climate and Liveability Initiative at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Matthew received his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Newcastle in Australia. Before coming to KAUST in 2012, he held research positions at Princeton University, Los Alamos National Laboratory and was an Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales. His research explores multi-disciplinary issues around water and food security, climate change impacts, precision agriculture, and water resources monitoring and modelling, focusing on the use of novel technologies for enhanced Earth observation and data-model integration. Prof McCabe has published more than 250 research papers and been recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher every year since 2019. He is the Section Chief Editor of Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and an Associate Editor of Remote Sensing. Prof McCabe was the recipient of the 2022 Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water. He is also a co-founder of SarSatX, a Saudi-based satellite and data-analytics company, and was responsible for the launch of Saudi Arabia’s first hyperspectral satellite in 2023. He is the coordinating editor of the recently published “Climate Futures: Saudi Arabia in a 3 degrees warmer world” report.

Dr. Pierre Broun is Director of Climate-Resilient Agriculture at NEOM, overseeing the development of sustainable, innovative and profitable farming systems to support food self-sufficiency at NEOM and food security for the country. 

Before joining NEOM, Dr. Broun held executive positions in the food industry to ensure sustainable agricultural supply, leading plant science and technology in large agri-food companies, including over 10 years as head of plant science at Nestlé. 

Dr. Broun started his career in biotechnology, both in industry and academia. 

He holds a PhD in plant breeding and biometry from Cornell University.

Professor Yakov Kuzyakov worked in various Soil and Environmental Science departments of universities and research institutes worldwide: Germany, USA, UK, Russia, and China. His expertise covers soil ecology, biogeochemistry, rhizosphere processes, C and N cycling, soil degradation, land use and agroecology. Methodical expertise is based on application of stable and radioactive isotopes at natural abundance and labeling. Yakov led research projects in many countries: Germany, China, Korea, Tanzania, Indonesia, Russia, and Chile. Together with his group, Yakov focuses on soil biogeochemistry with long-term and deep expertise for C and N cycles, priming effects, and nutrient mobilization. His special interests are soil-plant-microbial interactions in hotspots. His groundbreaking works are in the fields of rhizodeposition, low molecular weight organic substances, priming effects, visualization of enzyme activities, localization of root exudation. These processes are studied depending on land use and soil degradation, as well as such global change components as warming, drought, elevated CO₂. Yakov group made many innovative studies to pedogenic carbonates, biochar stability, competition of roots and microorganisms for nutrients, microbial metabolism in soil, effects of plant photosynthesis on CO₂ efflux from soil. The applied studies are focused on C sequestration, soil fertility improvements, and reforestation effects. To understand the process mechanisms, Yakov group use a broad range of stable (¹³C, ¹⁵N) and radioactive (¹⁴C, ³²P, ³³P, ¹³⁷Cs) isotopes applications including pioneering position specific labeling and combine these approaches with biomarkers (PLFA, amino sugars, neutral sugars) as well as microbial activity parameters (enzyme and respiratory activities, microbial growth). Yakov is an active member of several editorial boards, for top-ranked journals including Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Land Degradation and Development, Biogeosciences, Rhizosphere, Scientific Reports etc. He was awarded in 2015 the John Waid Award for Best Review Paper in Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 2016 the EGU Outstanding Editor Award etc. Yakov is Visiting Professor and has very close and intensive collaboration with various top universities and research institutes in China.       

Prof. Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Wabel, the driving force behind SBRG, is a well-known Environmental and Soil Scientist with significant contributions to the field of biochar research. Prof. Al-Wabel is an enthusiastic and visionary scientist leading various research projects to synthesize, characterize, and apply biochar to solve the critical issues of soil, environment, and climate. Due to his passion, innovation, and dedication, Prof. Al-Wabel has proved himself a game-changer for biochar research in Saudi Arabia and demonstrated impactful insights into environmental sustainability and carbon management research.

Prof. Mohammad I Al-Wabel works in the Department of Soil Sciences, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (KSU). His prominent research areas are the production of biochar-based low-cost adsorbents for environmental management, monitoring, modelling, soil and environment pollution assessment and remediation, carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation, and revitalization of abandoned soil.

Prof. Mohammad Al-Wabel received his Master's in Soil Sciences from KSU in 1995 and Ph.D. in Soil Chemistry from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA in 2001. He has served as the Chairman of the Department of Soil Sciences at KSU from 2008 to 2012 and from 2017 to 2018. He has also served as the Dean of the Deanship of Scientific Research at KSU from 2018-2022. He has supervised several Master's and Ph.D. theses research. Professor Al-Wabel has published more than 130+ research articles in peer-reviewed national and international journals and more than 8+ book chapters in various books. He has an H-index of 47+ with more than 8200+ citations. He has completed more than 20 research projects as P. I and Co-P.I. in various interdisciplinary subjects. Due to his research contributions, he has been awarded the Research Achievement Award, High-Impact Publication Award, and various other awards. 

Galvanized by the immense importance of biochar, Prof. Al-Wabel founded the SBRG in 2011. Under his leadership, the SBRG hasflourished and became the symbol of innovation in biochar research. Biochar can increase crop productivity by up to 25% by improving nutrient retention of soil by up to 50%, subsequently reducing fertilizer demands. Biochar can sequester substantial amounts of carbon in soil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%. Due to the significant importance of biochar for agriculture, climate, and the environment, the SBRG, under the leadership of Prof. Al-Wabel, is inspiring researchers, environmentalists, industrialists, and policymakers to adopt biochar technology to improve ecosystem health and mitigate climate change for future generations.

Ismail Cakmak earned his PhD at the University Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany, and full Professor at the Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey. Published over 240-peer-reviewed articles, named among the “highly cited researchers” by Clarivate Analytics (Thomson Reuters) and ranked   in the top 0.05 % of most influential scientists in all scientific disciplines in 2022 by Stanford University, based on Elsevier’s Scopus Database.

He has received IFA “International Crop Nutrition Award in 2005, Australian Crawford Fund “Derek Tribe Medal” in 2007, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation-Georg Forster Research Award in 2014, International Plant Nutrition Institute-IPNI Science Prize in 2016 and the World Academy of Sciences-Agricultural Science Prize in 2016.  He is an elected member of “The Academia Europaea” and “The Science Academy” of Turkey.

Joined International Centre for Bio-Saline Agriculture (ICBA), Dubai as Program Leader/section head of the Crop Diversity and Genetics group on 15th Nov 2018 after long stint in rice crop for abiotic stresses. Currently leading the specialized group working on use of suitable cropping solutions for very harsh marginal environments (salty water and soil, drought and high temperature) which is going to be much worsened in future due to climate change. Our major focus in middle east and north Africa (MENA), Central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), besides recent outreach to S and SE Asia as well.

Alanoud Alfagham is an assistant professor in Plant ecology and physiology at King Saud University (KSU). Her research focuses on how the global water shortage affects plant diversity, molecular biology, and physiology. She has published papers in high-impact scientific journals and conferences, and her contribution draws attention to the importance of leaf age consideration in plant drought resistance. She has been learning bioinformatics using advanced computer languages and programs. She aims to contribute to documenting Saudi wheat local cultivars as a highly genetic resource, which could pave the way for improving the physiological response to drought stress in wheat cultivars and informing the breeding programs.

Ali Al Lawati is a scientist in the field of Plant Genetic Resources and crop improvement. Currently, Al Lawati is Assistant Professor in Plant Genetics and Biotechnology in the University of Nizwa. Current, research activity is on the medicinal plants’ conservation and characterization. In addition, Al Lawati is managing the Seed genebank a collaborative project between Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Center and the University of Nizwa.

Al Lawati had BSc. (1990) and MSc. (1998) in Plant Sciences and Environment Sciences, respectively, from Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. he had a Ph.D. (2006) in Agronomy (Plant Breeding and Genetics) and minor in Experimental Statistics from New Mexico State University, U.S.A.

Dr. Ibrahim M. El-Ashmawy, a distinguished pharmacologist, currently holds the position of Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt. Since September 15, 2012, he has been affiliated with the College of Agricultural and Veterinary Medicine at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. He earned a B.V. Med. Sci. with honors in May 1984, followed by an MS in Pharmacology in 1988 and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology in 1991. Throughout his career, Dr. El-Ashmawy has held various positions, starting as a Demonstrator (1984-1988) in the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University. He progressed to become an Assistant Lecturer (1988-1991), Lecturer (1991-1995), Assistant Professor (1995-2000), and eventually a professor (2000- …). His teaching experiences include instructing undergraduate students in Pharmacology and Drug Toxicology. Additionally, he has taught advanced courses in Pharmacology and Toxicology to graduate students, guiding their research projects, and has supervised numerous Master Thesis and Ph.D. Dissertations (23 Master Theses and Ph.D. (10)). Dr. El-Ashmawy's academic and research experiences also extend abroad, where he served as a Visiting Professor at the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany, in 2000. Dr. El-Ashmawy has actively contributed to various scientific projects, partnering in endeavors such as antiviral activity of a newly formulated herbal mixture, therapeutic efficacy of Copper (I) nicotinate, development of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug from blue green algae, and more. Throughout his career, Dr. El-Ashmawy has received numerous awards, honors, and grants, including the State Prize for Scientific Encouragement in Agricultural Sciences (2000), Alexandria University Prize for Scientific Encouragement (2000), Alexandria University Prize for Scientific Excellence (2009), and the State Prize for Scientific Excellence (2010), among others. Dr. El-Ashmawy's contributions extend to conferences, where he has actively participated in both national and international events related to pharmacology and toxicology. His research interests cover a wide scope, including herbal medicine, heavy metals, drug safety assessment, teratology, male fertility, GC/MS analysis, pharmacodynamics, neuromuscular junction, pharmacogenetics, anti-inflammatory and analgesic screenings, and neuropharmacology. With a prolific academic career, Dr. Ibrahim M. El-Ashmawy continues to make significant contributions to the field of pharmacology and veterinary medicine.

Currently he is an Associate professor of Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology at King Saud University, College of Food and Agriculture Science, Plant Production Department.  He got his Engineer in Horticulture (1991) from ESH Chott-Mariem (TUNISIA), Master of Sciences (1993) in Plant Tissue culture and Genetic Engineering from ENSH Versailles (FRANCE), Doctor's degree (Ph.D.) (1998) in plant Biotechnology & cellular and molecular biology from INA-PG Paris Sud University, France.  He worked at INRA-Versailles (France) as Ph.D. Student, at ICGEB-New Delhi for two years as Post-Doc, at Center of Biotechnology of Sfax (Tunisia) for 10 years and from September 2010 to present he works at King Saud University. His Research Interest are Plant Molecular Biology and physiology (Plant Biotechnology, Biopharming, Abiotic stress tolerance), Plant Tissue culture genetic engineering, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), Genomics and Bioinformatics of extremophile plants as a sink for stress tolerant related genes, and Hydroponics/Aeroponics growing systems and Plant Growth-Promoting Microorganisms for Agriculture and Ecological Sustainability.

Hirt studied biochemistry at the Univ. of Cape Town and Vienna where he received his PhD in 1987. After post-doctoral fellowships at the Univ. of Oxford and Wageningen, he became Professor of Genetics at the Univ. of Vienna. In 2007, he was nominated Director of the INRAe Plant Genomics Institute in Paris and of the Center for Desert Agriculture at KAUST in 2014. Hirt has a long standing record on how plants can survive under abiotic or biotic stress conditions (more than 300 publications, h-index 95). His current research is focused on how plants can survive under abiotic or biotic stress conditions by identifying and using beneficial microbes of desert plants

He holds a Ph.D. in two distinct fields—firstly, in Biochemistry from the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, exploring the impact of lead exposure on oxidative stress, and subsequently, in Advanced Biotechnology and Biodiversity from the University of Silesia in Katowice, focusing on the root system development of Hordeum vulgare L. He received his master’s degree in biotechnology and biology and a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Silesia in Katowice. Professionally, he has held roles ranging from Head of Content and Co-Owner at Content Farmers Sp. z o.o. to serving as an Associate Editor at BioAgWorld Digest and a Sales Specialist at Przedsiębiorstwo ARKOP Sp. z o.o. He has experience in internships at renowned institutions globally, and has actively contributed to nine international research grants, authored a patent application, and published several articles in scientific journals and conference materials.

Northern Border University (Arar). Prof. Abdulhakim Bawadekji obtained his degree in Agricultural Sciences (1989-1993) from Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomiques (Montpellier - France). He is an ex-faculty member of, the Department of Horticulture, and ex-director of the edible mushroom research laboratory, the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Aleppo. (Aleppo, Syria). He is a professor at Northern Border University, College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences. He has published over 75 research articles in international scientific. He is a member of the editorial board of many international journals. His research focuses on studying native flora and native fungi of Northern Border Region (Arar - Saudi Arabia). Competing desertification and reforestation of arid zones via improving seedling quality in nurseries using endomycorrhizal inoculation of roots.

Ce Yang is an Associate Professor working on remote sensing for precision agriculture and high-throughput phenotyping at the University of Minnesota, USA. She leads the Agricultural Robotics Lab in the department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering to work on nutrient management, yield prediction and disease detection of staple food crops. The Ag Robotics Lab’s mission is to apply advanced ideas of robotics, remote sensing, data mining and information technology into precision agriculture. The core techniques they use include multispectral/hyperspectral imaging, spectroscopy, machine learning, geographic information system (GIS), digital mapping, biochemical sensing, etc. The tools available for carrying out her research are unmanned aerial vehicle, unmanned ground vehicle, video camera, multispectral camera, hyperspectral camera, DGPS, and various electrical, optical and chemical sensors. Ce Yang obtained her PhD degree in Agricultural Engineering and MS degree in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Florida.

Agricultural Engineer, PhD in Agricultural Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is a Professor at the University of São Paulo (USP), in the Department of Biosystems Engineering, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), in Piracicaba, São Paulo, since 1989, where he coordinates the Precision Agriculture Laboratory. He works at the interface between the area of Agricultural Machinery and Precision Agriculture, especially with crop and soil sensors, spatial variability, yield mapping and site specific application of inputs. He coordinated the Brazilian Congress of Precision Agriculture from its creation in 2004 until 2018

Francelino Rodrigues has been working in precision agriculture and remote sensing since 2004, including in his MSc, PhD and Postdoctoral studies. During his time, he has gained precision agriculture and remote sensing experience in contrasting cropping systems (coffee, sugarcane, cereals) in various countries (Brazil, Australia and Mexico) and at different spatio-temporal scales - from plot experiments towards small and commercial farming systems to regional scale. Before joining Lincoln Agritech in July 2021, he worked for around nine years at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). At CIMMYT he was involved in projects related to maize and wheat high throughput field phenotyping, and precision agriculture and remote sensing techniques applied to crop management at different spatial scales – executing field campaigns in countries in East Africa and South Asia and Mexico

Currently, he is Associate Professor (tenure track), Department of Plant Resources and Environment, Jeju National University, since2022. As well as He is a Member of European Cooperation in Science and Technology since 2022 and he is the CEO of Pytomix Corporation since 2021. He is Assistant Professor (tenure track), Department of Plant Resources and Environment, Jeju National University, 2018-2022. He worked on Plant Breeding and Genetics using conventional and modern methods with phenomics. He did Postdoctoral Research Associate, Plant Sciences Institute, Iowa State University, 2014-2016 with the Advisor: Professor Patrick Schnable. Develop field-based high throughput phenotyping system for corn using time lapse as a Project Lead. He Established multidisciplinary collaborations with several ISU departments and private company.

Prof. Dr. Khalid A. Al-Gaadi: Received a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from Colorado State University, USA, in 1998.  Currently working as a Full Professor in the Department of Agricultural Engineering in King Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).  His research interests include Agricultural Power and Machinery, with focus on Precision Agriculture (PA).  Established the Precision Agriculture Research Chair (PARC) in 2009 and currently working as the Chair Director.  He is the representative of KSA in the International Society for Precision Agriculture and is a member of many international and local scientific societies.  He has published more than 75 scientific papers in refereed scientific journals and participated in more than 25 international scientific conferences related to his research interests. Prof. Al-Gaadi is a co-researcher for a number of current and previous research funded projects.  He supervised a number of graduate students in the field of PA and agricultural machinery. 

Scientist (Seed and rangeland ecology), International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), ICARDA-UAE country manager and Arabian Peninsula Regional Program Coordinator. Seed technologist and Rangeland Ecologist with a PhD degree from the Wageningen University, the Netherlands.  35 years of experience working on seed science and technology and rangeland monitoring, restoration, and management, and community-based rehabilitation. Currently the Manager of the ICARDA United Arab Emirates Office and the Arabian Peninsula Regional Program. With a track record in leadership and program management at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), he currently works as the ICARDA UAE Office Manager and Coordinator of the ICARDA Arabian Peninsula Regional Program since 2020. Since 2022, he also led the ICARDA component of the One CGIAR Initiative on Nature Positive Solutions in Agriculture. From 2016 to 2021, he actively participated in implementing the seed system development and diversification component of the CRP-Wheat and coordinated the Iran-ICARDA food security project. Earlier, he led the ICARDA International Nurseries Program from 2007 to 2016 and led the seed component of the Water Productivity Improvement of Cereals and Food Legumes Challenge Program in the Atbara Basin of Eritrea from 2008 to 2010.

Dr. Essam holds a Bachelor degree in Chemistry from King Saud University, a Master degree in Physical Chemistry from Manchester University in UK and a PhD degree in Thermo-Chemistry from Leeds University in UK.

Dr. Essam is a Research Fellow at SABIC Agri Nutrients Company.  He has been holding the position of Senior Manager for Agri Nutrients Technology & Innovation (T&I) Specialty department since 2016. Prior to this, he has been holding many management positions within SABIC T&I.

Dr Zainab Oyetunde-Usman is a Research Social Scientist with background in agricultural and behavioural economics. She completed her Ph.D. at the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich and her research interestingly focused on the Impact and behavioural analysis of the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among farm households in developing countries using various adoption probabilities, impact, and behavioural analysis techniques. She currently works at the Net-Zero and Resilient Farming Department at Rothamsted Research, UK, contributing to the social advancement of improved techniques for tackling climate issues. Her research aims are tailored to providing evidence-based policy intervention that increases resilience and minimises the farming population's vulnerability

Ashok Kumar Are obtained his Ph D from Division of Genetics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and completed certification courses in Data-driven decisions, Product Management and Leading the Organization from the Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Queensland. Currently he is working as Director, a.i. Regional Program –Asia, Cluster Leader – Seed systems, and Product Placement Lead -Asia at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semiarid Tropics (ICRISAT), India. He has >23 years of research experience in genetics, plant breeding for developing improved breeding processes and market-preferred cultivars in various crops, particularly the sorghum and castor that resulted in release of more than 100 cultivars in 15 countries. Deploying data-driven decisions in breeding is one of the core areas of his work. Since 2006, his major focus is on modernizing the breeding programs, developing innovative approaches that enhance rate of genetic gain in crops for various end uses and in developing innovative seed systems for rapid replacement of farmers’ varieties. He is currently providing vision and operational plans for the Regional Program -Asia that works with three global research programs at ICRISAT in co-designing and co-creation of new knowledge, products and technologies and their dissemination. He led the projects on biofortifying sorghum with higher grain Zn and Fe and developing sorghums amenable for first (1G) and second generation (2G) bioenergy production besides forage sorghum. He served as an International Consultant to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the UN in Sudan, Namibia, and Austria. He has guided 10 Ph D students and published 98 journal articles, 45 book chapters, 50 conference papers and co-authored 8 books.

Dato’ Dr Mohamad Zabawi expertise includes soil science (soil conservation), agroecological zonation, climate change, green technology, and water stress physiology. Dato’ Dr Mohamad Zabawi obtained his PhD in Water Stress Physiology and MSc in Tropical Agriculture from The Reading Unversity in 2006 and 1993, and his BSc in Agriculture Science (Major in Soil Physic and Conservation) from Universiti Putra Malaysia in 1988. He is the Chairman of the vulnerability and adaptation of agriculture to climate change for the Third National Communication. He is also a member for Academy of Sciences Malaysia Water and Climate Change Task Force, committee member for Research and Innovation in Green Technology and Climate Change, committee member for Adaptation in Green Technology and Climate Change.

Josef Soukup is a Professor and Head of the Department of Agroecology and Crop Production at the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic. He currently serves as the Dean of that Faculty. He has established and lead a local weed research group with extensive collaborations with leading domestic and international research institutions, industry, and farmer´s associations. His recent research areas are the herbicide resistance, herbicide tolerant crops and co-existence of GM and non-GM cropping systems. His group is steadily involved in many research projects financially supported by different grant agencies and industry. Josef Soukup serves as President of the European Weed Research Society in 2022-2023 and maintains networking with other weed science and crop protection societies. 

Dr. Johan A. Stenberg is a Professor in Integrated Plant Protection and Director of the SLU Center for Biological Control.

Dr. Mudasir Gani is working as Assistant Professor at Division of Entomology, Faculty of Horticulture, SKUAST-K, Shalimar, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India. He had completed Ph.D. Entomology from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir India and Post-Doc from Institute for Biological Control, Julius Kuhn Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Germany. He has a very good experience on mass rearing techniques of insect parasitoids and predators - their field evaluation and impact assessment; host-pathogen interactions and molecular aspects of entomology. He has guided 07 Masters student’s and co-guided 3 doctoral students in the discipline of Agricultural Entomology. He has published more than 25 research papers in high impact factor journals in the discipline of Entomology in general and insect pathology in particular.

Hessel van der Heide is a Technical Researcher Entomology at the business unit Greenhouse Horticulture part of Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands. He specializes in biological control of pests in greenhouse crops, varying from food crops to (cut)flowers. He has worked on a wide variety of pests, including stinkbugs, aphids, thrips, whiteflies, and others. In addition to pests, he has also worked with various biological control agents, supplementary foods to create so called “standing armies” of biological control agents and predatory mites. Currently he works a lot on banker plant systems to get an early establishment of biological control agents or to support biological control agents to establish under suboptimal conditions.

Dr. Luma Al -Banna is a Professor in the Department of Plant Protection, School of Agriculture, University of Jordan since 1996. She received a B.S. in Plant Production and Plant Protection from University of Jordan in 1981 and her M.S. & Ph.D. in Plant Pathology/Nematology from University of California, Davis, in 1992 and 1996, respectively.  Formerly, Al-Banna served as the department head of Plant Protection and at present, she is the Assistant Dean for Alumni Affairs at the School of Agriculture, University of Jordan. She is currently appointed as an ambassador of University of Bonn, Germany in Jordan.  Her areas of research interests include nematode systematics, epidemiology, and management of plant diseases. Luma was a visiting Scientist at UC Davis, UC Riverside, and University of Bonn. Al-Banna has published numerous articles and manuscripts in several international journals, including Australasian Plant Pathology, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Crop Protection, Journal of Nematology, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Nematologia Mediterrenea, Phytopathologia Mediterranea, and Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. She has supervised/co-supervised 12 MSc students, 5 PhD students, and teaches courses in plant pathology/nematology at the undergraduate and graduate levels for almost 27 years at the University of Jordan.

Abdo Hassoun is the founder of Sustainable AgriFoodtech Innovation & Research (SAFIR), a non-profit research organization that works in collaboration with other notable partners to contribute to addressing food sustainability issues and making food healthier and more affordable. He completed his Ph.D. in 2016 in France and carried out his postdoctoral research work at the Norwegian Food Research Institute (Nofima). Dr. Hassoun has also experience from the University of the Littoral Opal Coast in France (ULCO). He has been among the first researchers who have explored the potential of Industry 4.0 and emerging technologies in agriculture and the food industry. He serves as an Editorial Board Member and Guest Editor of several international journals and has contributed to numerous scientific publications.

Dr. Salah bin Muhammad Abdulaziz Al-Eid is currently a Professor of Food Science and Technology at the College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University. He holds a Ph.D. in Grain Science and Technology from Kansas State University in the USA. Dr. Al-Eid's extensive contributions and publication, exceeds fifty research papers. Additionally, he holds three granted US patents. His commitment to excellence in scientific research has been recognized through the prestigious Al-Marai Scientific Creativity Award. In terms of leadership and governance, Dr. Al-Eid is an esteemed member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority since 2021. He also contributes to the agricultural sector as a member of the Board of Directors of the Agricultural Development Fund, a role he has held since 2020. Furthermore, he is a board member of the Research Excellence Center for Palm and Dates at King Faisal University since 2022. Internationally, Dr. Al-Eid has engaged in collaborative research projects with esteemed institutions. Notable among these is his collaboration with Inner Mongolia Agricultural University in China, focusing on the potential of fresh and fermented camel milk as a source of probiotics (2022 – 2024). His international collaborations also include partnerships with the University of Lorraine and the Higher Agricultural Institute in France, where he worked on the production of the antibiotic Streptomycin from dates using fermentation technology (2013 – 2018). Additionally, he collaborated with Michigan State University in the USA on projects related to biofuel production from dates (2012-2014) and X-ray irradiation of dates (2010). Dr. Salah bin Muhammad Abdulaziz Al-Eid's impactful contributions to academia, research, and international collaborations underscore his dedication to advancing the fields of Food Science and Technology.

Emeritus professor, faculty of Agriculture,  professor, Arid Lands Agricultural studies and Research Institute, Ain Shams university

He started his career after graduation from Cairo University, faculty of Agriculture working as assistant researcher in the National Research Center. After being granted the Ph.D. degree, he was appointed as lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the faculty of agriculture, Ain Shams University. His career continued ever since as associate professor, then full professor and head of Horticulture Department, then Emeritus Professor at Ain Shams University till the moment.

Dr. Dinesh Chauhan is the Vice President of Projects and Partnerships at DeHaat, a prominent agri-tech firm in India, serving more than two million farmers. With a remarkable 22-year career in the agriculture and agribusiness sector, Dr. Chauhan has held various high-level positions encompassing academics, consulting, sales, and business development. His expertise spans farm solutions, large-scale modern farming, supply chain management, business development, and structured trade finance.

Dr. Chauhan boasts an impressive educational background with a PhD in Management, an MBA in Agribusiness Management, an MSc in Food Technology, and a BSc in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.

Dr. Stella Despoudi is Senior Lecturer in Food Supply Chain Management & Logistics at the University of Western Macedonia, in Greece. Prior to this Stella has been working for Aston Business School, Coventry University and for Loughborough University’s School of Business & Economics. She holds a PhD in Food Operations and Supply Chain Management from Loughborough University’s School of Business and Economics. 

Stella’s research expertise lies in the following research areas: Circular food supply chains, supply chain resilience, industry 5.0, honey supply chain, food waste and food sustainability. Currently she works on multi-partner projects related to food supply chain resilience, climatic changes, and Industry 5.0. She also works as food supply chain consultant and she is co-owner of a honey processing company called Melizin

Adil Abdelnour is an interdisciplinary scientist and advisor; he works on issues related to water management and environmental policy, specially focused on how to mainstream sustainable agricultural development concepts and applications as related to judicious use of natural resource, sustainable food systems and development of non-conventional water resources.

Dr. Abdelnour works in Saudi Arabia as a consultant at ministry of municipalities, Qassim University and lastly as a technical advisor for the National Research and Development Center (Estidamah). He had been working for some international organizations and private sector companies. His professional interests include environmental policies for sustainable water management, policy research and institutional capacity development for transformation to sustainable management of natural resources. His current interests revolve around water – waste – energy – food nexus.

Dr. Abdelnour delivers many presentations and offer lectures in areas of environmental impacts of unsustainable agricultural practices of Saudi agri-food system, how to shift from resource sufficiency to resource efficiency.

Graduated 2008 from faculty of veterinary medicine. Work in poultry production more than 10 years as poultry consultant. Hold master’s degree in Black solider fly larvae extract. In 2016, he started his journey with breeding insects, especially black soldier fly, where he moved the production from laboratory to the commercial level, founded EGYMAG Biotechnology Company, 1st MENA Biotechnology company, developed indoor Breeding system, Vertical insect protein production Solution (using Black solider fly larvae) less land, water and Energy usage, transforming organic residue to protein and unique organic fertilizers.

Dr. Abdallah Soubhy Ali is currently an Associate professor of Microbiology at Cairo University in Egypt and a scientific team leader at Anhui University of Technology in China. He earned his Bachelor of Biotechnology at Cairo University, Egypt, in 2001, and his M.Sc. in Environmental Microbiology at the same University, in 2007 and his PhD in Microbial Biotechnology from the Technical University of Munich, Germany in 2015. In his thesis work he pioneered the biorefinery and bioconversion of lignocellulosic material to produce high-valuable products and by-products and applied this to study on different agricultural and agro-industrial wastes to get the maximum benefits form these residues with zero waste processes.

Dr Abed Alaswad is an established researcher in sustainable energy systems with a focus on waste to energy techniques. He is the Director of the Engineering for Sustainable Development Research Center at Aston University in the United Kingdom.  He has a track record of leading/ contributing to research projects as funded by (EPSRC, KTP, ETP, GCRF, RAEng) working along with partners from the UK, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. Dr Alaswad is an Editorial Board Member for the Science of the Total Environment (IF: 10.753, Citescore: 14.1) and reviews for the Prestigious Newton Fund Prize.

Dr. Kakoli Ghosh works for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and specializes in sustainable agriculture, agrobiodiversity and food security. She is the Chief Technical Adviser, Sustainable Rural Agriculture Development Program of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where FAO is providing technical and advisory assistance for strengthening agricultural productivity, natural resource management and value addition of commodities for rural development. Dr. Ghosh has extensive experience in dealing with issues and challenges facing agriculture development around the world. Throughout her career, she was based in the FAO Headquarters in Rome, where she held a range of important positions in Plant Production and Protection Division, Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, FAO’s Strategic Program on Sustainable Food and Agriculture and Partnerships and Cooperation Division.

Cecilia Stanghellini, an Italian physicist with a Dutch PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has been working at Wageningen University and Research Centre (the Netherlands) for more than 30 years, on the resource use and management of greenhouses in wet and dry climates. Major topics are: greenhouse climate simulation and management; crop yield and resource use efficiency; economy and environmental impact of greenhouse crops. She is [co]author of more than 300 publications including a recent textbook on greenhouse technology.

She has lead several large international projects, financed by the European Union, governments and large companies in Europe, Latin America, and Africa on the topic of efficient greenhouse vegetable production and capacity building.

Prof. Dr. Nazim Gruda, University of Bonn, Germany, is a globally renowned authority in horticulture. He is Vice-Chair of the Division of Vegetables, Roots, and Tubers within the International Society for Horticultural Science. For his outstanding work, he received the "Dr Heinrich-Baur-Prize", from the Technical University of Munich and the "National Scientific Prize" from the Academy of Science of Albania. His influential research places him in the top 2% of global scientists, according to Stanford University. He is a member, an Honorary Member, and a Correspondent of three European Academies, and a "Distinguished Scientist" of the Academy of Science of China.

Dr. Michael Salvador has over 15 years of experience in basic research and R&D and a proven track record in developing solar technologies, with emphasis on thin-film, flexible photovoltaics. Michael holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Cologne, Germany. Previously, he has held research positions at universities in the USA and Germany, including Caltech, University of Washington, and University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. In 2019 he took on the role as Principal Technology Lead of the KAUST Solar Center. Michael is also the CEO of Mirai Solar, a startup developing renewable energy solutions that capitalizes on the need for shade. During the last three years he has led Mirai Solar from an R&D project into a full-scale startup with manufacturing capabilities and pilot demonstrations. Michael has contributed to several patents for solar devices including those forming the intellectual property of Mirai Solar. 

Prof. Abdullah is currently a Professor of Horticulture in the Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences at King Saud University.  He earned his BSc. From King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with first degree honor, MSc. Degree from the University of California, Davis, CA, USA and PhD degree from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.

 His Professional Experience extend to administrative and academic fields. He is currently a representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Council of the International Society for Horticultural Sciences. He is also amember of the judging committee for the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity in King Abdulaziz and his Companions for Giftedness and Creativity.  He was a board member of the National Center for the Research and Development in Sustainable Agriculture (ISTIDAMAH). He was the founder dean of the College of Scientific and Humanitarian Studies in Alghat City, Almajmaa University.   He was a consultant in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.  He served as a Chairman of the Department of Plant Production,  President, Saudi Society for Agricultural Sciences, Board member of the Saudi Biological Society. Deputy Dean and Dean of the College of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Director of the Agricultural Research and Experiment Station.  He earned Al-Marai Prize for Scientific Innovation / Creative Work in Plant   Production from AlMarai Agricultural Company and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.  He also had the award for outstanding research publication at King Saud University and outstanding reviewer award from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.

He has published more than 110 Arabic and English articles and authored or translated 12 books or book chapters.  He conducted more than 12 research projects and currently working in 3 projects.  He supervised and co- supervised 32 MsC and PhD students in King Saud university and local and international universities.  His main research interests are protected environment agriculture, environmental stress physiology and use of sustainable and renewable energy in food production.

Dr. Jung Eek Son is a professor emeritus and senior researcher at Seoul National University, Republic of Korea. He works for greenhouse horticulture, vertical farm, and smart farming, particularly on recycled soilless culture, canopy photosynthesis modelling, supplemental inter-lighting, light use efficiency, AI and 3D plant modeling. He published about 230 scientific papers and books; and received academic achievement awards and government-level honors. He served presidents of Korean Societies of Horticultural Science, Bio-environmental control, Vertical Farm Research & Industry, and a WG chair of Integrated Production System (ISHS). He was a convener of GreenSys2013 and is a co-convener of LightSym2024 (Korea).

(Affiliation)

Professor emeritus in Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources and Senior researcher in Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Korea.

Muien Qaryouti has obtained his PhD, 2001, from the Jordan University, in horticulture science.

He started his career as a researcher at the National Agricultural Research Centre since 1992, Amman.

He became a Director for the Irrigated Agriculture Research Program during 2004- 2012, and the Director of Horticultural Research between 2012-2016. Qaryouti continued his career as a Director General Assistant for Research, 2016- 2017, and Deputy Director General.

Besides, he was a member and coordinator of the FAO Regional Working Group on Greenhouse Crop Production in the Mediterranean Region, 2006-2012. Member of the international Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS).

Currently, Qaryouti joined NATIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE (ESTIDAMAH) since 2018.

He is expertise is in crop management in protected agriculture, application of different growing media, resilience abiotic stresses, marketing management and international cooperation. 

Professor of Water Resources at the regional Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Bahrain. He serves as the coordinator of the Water Resources Management Graduate Program and the coordinator of the UN Water Learning Center for the Arab Region hosted by the AGU, and serves as a member of the Permanent Advisory Committee of the Water Resources Council in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He obtained his PhD from Colorado State University in 1990 in the field of groundwater systems mathematical modeling. He teaches graduate courses in Hydrogeology and Water Resources Development, Management and Planning in Arid Regions; has published more than 100 research papers in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, conferences, and seminars;, and supervised more than 45 MSc and PhD theses

Prof. Mohamed Ouessar has a doctorate in Applied Biological Sciences (Land management) from the University of Ghent in Belgium. He is currently a senior researcher at the Arid Zone Research Institute (Tunisia).

He has contributed actively to the realization of numerous joint research projects funded by national and international agencies. His research programs focused mainly on water harvesting, GIS based hydrological modeling and decision support systems, impact assessment, watershed management, climate change impacts and adaptation, combating desertification and drylands management.

He contributed also to the training and capacity building through supervision of trainees and students of all levels from national and international centers and organizations and universities

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Dr. Naser Edin Obeid is the Director General of The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands "ACSAD" from 2020 to date. He holds a PhD in agricultural and environmental economics. He held many positions, such as

Assistant Director General of the ACSAD  2014-2020.

Director of Administrative and Financial department at ACSAD, 1996-2020.

Director of the Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in the Syrian Arab Republic 1993-1995.

During his work at ACSAD, he participated in:

Preparing the ten-year strategies of ACSAD, (1998-2008) (2010-2020).

Preparing the annual plans of ACSAD from 1996 to date.

Preparing the Arab strategy for agricultural development for the years 2009-2025, which was approved by the Arab Summit in its 20th session.

Preparing the financial and accounting system for joint Arab action organizations 2000 (League of Arab States). Member of many scientific and technical committees and participated and lectured in tens of regional and international conferences.

He has many scientific publications in the fields of environmental economics and combating desertification. Chief Editor of the Arab Journal of Arid Environments, published by ACSAD.

David Mulla has been the Larson Chair and Professor for Soil & Water Resources in the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota since 1995.  

He received a Ph.D. degree in Agronomy from Purdue University with emphasis in soil physics.

He was a Professor in the Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences from 1983-1995 at Washington State Univ.

Dr. Mulla’s research emphasizes precision agriculture, land management and water quality modeling, ecosystem services, and international agricultural development.

Dr. Mulla is a Fellow in the Soil Science Society of America, and the Agronomy Society of America.

H.E Dr. Abdulaziz Almalik ,Deputy minister for research and innovation for the Ministry for Environment Water and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia

Abdulaziz Almalik is the deputy minister for research and innovation at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia. Prior to joining MEWA, he served as vice-president for scientific research support, vice-president for innovation and technology commercialisation, director of the Life Sciences and Environmental Research Institute, vice-chair of the Scientific Council, and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (2015-23). He was also a senior adviser to the governor and a founding member of the founding team of the Research, Development and Innovation Authority. He has extensive experience in developing and managing national-scale RDI initiatives backed by knowledge of intellectual property generation, acquisition, management and strong academic credentials.

Since 2017, working as Regional Officer for Plant Protection and Production (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the Near East and North Africa Region), he is currently leading the plant protection activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization in the Near East and North Africa.

·       Responsible for guiding FAO's response to regional and national priorities for food security, Pest and Pesticide management, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities in NENA region.

·       Lead the regional and national dialogue with high level authority and planning for the need and implementation of NENA counties for sustainable management and development in food safety and security focusing on plant health and plant production.