In a powerful testament to the transformative power of knowledge, Nobel chemistry laureate Omar Yaghi, who was born into a family of Palestinian refugees in Jordan with limited educational opportunities, highlighted science as an ‘equalizing force’ during his Nobel acceptance on October 8, 2025.
The Jordanian-American scientist, Professor Yaghi, shared the 2025 Nobel Prize with Japan’s Susumu Kitagawa and the UK’s Richard Robson. Their collaborative, pioneering work focused on Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), revolutionary materials with diverse applications such as carbon dioxide capture and efficient water harvesting from arid desert environments. An accompanying image provided by the University of California, Berkeley, shows Professor Yaghi, celebrating his momentous achievement.
Recalling his childhood, Professor Yaghi shared with the Nobel Foundation, ‘I grew up in a very humble home. There were about a dozen of us in one small room, which we even shared with the cattle we raised.’ This poignant detail underscores the remarkable journey from scarcity to global recognition.
His early life was marked by hardship: a home without electricity or running water, a father who completed only six years of schooling, and a mother who was illiterate. Born in 1965, Yaghi spent his formative years in Amman, Jordan, before relocating to the United States at the tender age of 15, a move encouraged by his determined father.
His scientific spark ignited at age 10 when he secretly accessed the school library, where he first encountered the captivating world of molecular structures within a book. He found these images ‘unintelligible yet captivating,’ laying the groundwork for his future in chemistry.
Reflecting on his life, he mused, ‘It’s quite a journey,’ crediting science as the enabler of his extraordinary path. Professor Yaghi firmly believes that ‘Science is the greatest equalizing force in the world.’ He emphasized that ‘Smart people, talented people, skilled people exist everywhere,’ stressing the importance of ‘unleashing their potential through providing them with opportunity.’
A notable achievement of his research group includes successfully extracting water from the desert air in Arizona. He recalled his early career at Arizona State University: ‘My dream was to publish at least one paper that receives 100 citations.’ Today, his students proudly state that their group’s work has accumulated over 250,000 citations, far surpassing his initial aspiration.
Explaining his passion, he stated, ‘The beauty of chemistry is that if you learn how to control matter on the atomic and molecular level, the potential is truly immense.’ He concluded by saying, ‘We opened a gold mine in that way, and the field has flourished tremendously.’