University
Research Day 2026

As Vice President for Research and Innovation, Dr. Al-Shaikhi leads KFUPM’s research strategy, its research centers and institutes, and the University’s work to translate research outcomes into deployed technologies and new ventures. His opening address will set out the scale and direction of the University’s research sector, the capabilities behind the work on display across the two days, and how KFUPM is positioning its research portfolio to serve national RDI priorities.

Dr. Julien-Alexandre Lamamy leads ispace-EUROPE, the Luxembourg-based European arm of the global lunar exploration company ispace. He is closely associated with European lunar mobility, rover development, space-resource initiatives and international collaboration. His perspective connects advanced university R&D with the expanding commercial space economy and provides a compelling example of how research, engineering, government programs and industry can combine to build new markets.

Mr. Abdulwahab is a recognized innovation and entrepreneurship leader and the CEO of Next Arabia, an advisory firm that develops, launches and operates innovation ventures and startup programs. He has extensive experience helping researchers and founders clarify customer needs, refine value propositions, shape business models, validate market opportunities and communicate compelling product stories. His previous extended coaching of KFUPM deep-tech teams gives him direct insight into the mindset and commercialization challenges of the University’s researchers.

Mr. Abusharifah leads Dhahran Techno Valley, a major innovation ecosystem connecting university research, industry, entrepreneurship and investment. His work centers on accelerating the journey from research to market through partnerships, venture-building programs, acceleration, industry engagement and co-investment pathways. His keynote explains how KFUPM researchers and ventures can access commercialization support and move from promising technology toward validated opportunity and scalable enterprise.

Dr. Aljawad is an Associate Professor in the Department of Petroleum Engineering at the College of Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences, KFUPM, and a founder of a KFUPM-originated venture. His research spans productivity enhancement, reactive transport, geomechanics and sustainability, and he has published extensively on stimulation, fracturing and carbonate reservoir technologies. He holds a Ph.D. and an M.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from KFUPM. As a researcher who has taken his own work toward commercial application, he brings the practitioner’s perspective on what the journey out of the laboratory actually demands.

Prof. Elkatatny is a Professor in the Department of Petroleum Engineering at KFUPM, which he joined in 2015 after industry roles as a senior geomechanical engineer and drilling engineer. He has published more than 160 journal papers and 170 conference papers and is a named inventor on more than 37 US patents — an unusually strong record of converting research into protected, applicable technology. He leads a research group working on drilling fluid optimisation, oil-well cementing, geomechanics and the application of artificial intelligence in petroleum engineering, and established several specialist laboratories at the University. He also leads a KFUPM initiative dedicated to transforming ideas into reality, which makes him a natural moderator for this discussion.

Prof. Loss holds the RDIA Chair Professorship of Quantum Computing at KFUPM, established in collaboration with the Research, Development and Innovation Authority, and serves as Director of the KFUPM Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Quantum Computing. He is among the most cited physicists in his field and is internationally recognised as a pioneer of spin-based quantum computing. He joined KFUPM in 2025, relocating to Dhahran, and brings together faculty from several departments to build the University’s quantum computing research capability. His chair demonstrates how national authorities and universities can partner to attract global talent and establish entirely new research capacity.

Prof. Hammoudeh holds the Saudi Aramco Cybersecurity Chair at KFUPM — a chair created and sponsored directly by industry, and therefore a working example of the partnership model this session examines. He is the founder and co-Editor-in-Chief of the ACM journal Distributed Ledger Technologies: Research and Practice. Before joining KFUPM he founded and led the CfACS IoT and Cyber Security Laboratory at Manchester Metropolitan University, and he has been awarded substantial competitive research funding as principal or co-investigator across many projects. His research spans zero-trust security for connected systems, industrial and operational technology security, and quantum-safe encryption.