Areej Al-Muqbil Awarded at Regeneron ISEF 2025: Columbus Ohio

In May 2025, Areej Al-Muqbil concluded her second and final year participating in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the world’s largest and most competitive pre-college science and engineering competition, bringing together more than 1,600 finalists from across the globe.

At ISEF 2025, held in Columbus, Ohio, Al-Muqbil received the following distinctions:

• Grand Award in Environmental Engineering (ENEV)

• Special Award from the Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK)

• Selection to the Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Impact Panel, an honor awarded to only six finalists internationally

Her award-winning project focused on the development of a novel contact liquid for cryogenic carbon capture, proposing a more efficient and environmentally sustainable approach to reducing carbon dioxide emissions from energy-intensive and hard-to-abate industrial sectors.

This work represents the culmination of a two-year research trajectory that began with a materials science project in her first year at ISEF. Over the course of her participation, Al-Muqbil was recognized with:

• Two Grand Awards

• Three Special Awards

Her research was conducted under the mentorship of the Cryogenic Carbon Capture Team at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), led by William Roberts, with institutional support from Mawhiba, including guidance from Eng. Abdullah Alkhatteb and Prof. Ahmad Sorour.

Beyond its competitive dimension, ISEF served as a global platform for scientific exchange, interdisciplinary dialogue, and collaboration among emerging researchers. For Al-Muqbil, the experience marked a formative chapter in her development as a scientist committed to research with tangible environmental and societal impact.