Egyptian professor Abbas El Gamal wins ‘Great Arab Minds’ Award

Dubai:  His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has announced Professor Abbas El Gamal as the winner of the 2025 Great Arab Minds Award in the Engineering and Technology category, recognising one of the Arab world’s most influential contributors to modern digital communications.

Sheikh Mohammed took to his X account to announce the winner: “Today we announce the winner of the Great Arab Minds Award in the Engineering and Technology category for the year 2025: Professor Abbas El Gamal, Hitachi America Professor in the School of Engineering at Stanford University.

The Vice President praised Professor El Gamal as a global authority in Network Information Theory, noting that his groundbreaking research laid the foundations of modern communication systems and deepened the world’s understanding of digital networks”. He said the award reflects pride in Arab talent whose work continues to advance human progress and global knowledge.

Professor El Gamal is regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in Network Information Theory. His scientific contributions laid the foundations of modern digital communication systems, deepening global understanding of the field and shaping the protocols upon which modern networks rely, Sheikh Mohammed said.

He added: “We congratulate Professor Abbas El Gamal and celebrate the achievements of Arab minds whose innovations continue to serve humanity and advance global knowledge.”

Professor Abbas El Gamal, who serves as the Hitachi America Professor in the School of Engineering at Stanford University, has spent decades shaping the field of digital communications. His contributions to Network Information Theory transformed how digital information is transmitted, analysed and optimised, laying theoretical foundations that underpin today’s communication protocols.

Beyond information theory, Professor El Gamal played a pivotal role in developing Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), reconfigurable electronic components used widely across circuit design, computing, aerospace systems and embedded technologies. His work on routing architecture for FPGAs accelerated the evolution of semiconductor design and computing performance.

He also contributed significantly to CMOS image sensor technology, the core technology behind modern smartphone cameras, advanced imaging devices and smart-technology applications. His innovations helped drive the digital transformation of imaging, sensing and communication systems used globally.

Over his distinguished career, Professor El Gamal has published more than 230 research papers and authored influential books, including Network Information Theory, now regarded as a foundational reference for researchers and students worldwide.

The 'Great Arab Minds' Award, the Arab world’s largest scientific and intellectual initiative, honours exceptional Arab thinkers whose work has made transformative global impact. Professor El Gamal’s win highlights the enduring influence of Arab scientists on the future of technology, engineering and human advancement.