Petra conservation expert wins first-ever Mideast Rolex Award

Dubai: A Jordanian chemistry professor has become the first Middle East laureate in the 32-year history of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise.

Talal Akasheh earned the global accolade for his work in creating a crucial geo-archaeological information system to protect Petra, one of Jordan's most revered cultural sites.

The 61-year-old was one of ten award recipients from around the globe and will now join a global network of 110 winners from 40 countries who have received project support and recognition from the Swiss watchmaker since the awards were founded in 1976.

Akasheh, who has been documenting Petra for 26 years, told Gulf News on Monday he was delighted his work had been internationally recognised and said he hoped his achievement would act as a catalyst to inspire other Arabs.

He said: "I am extremely honoured to receive this prestigious international award, which is not just for me but all of Jordan and the Arab world. The most important part of this award is it will lead to other sources of support for the giant job of preserving this beautiful, important place [Petra].

"I hope more and more people from the Middle East will present themselves for this award in the future. There is no reason that other Arabs shouldn't do well in this award if they take the opportunities available to them."

Each of the five laureates, chosen from nearly 1,500 applicants in 127 countries by an independent panel, will receive $100,000 (Dh367,340) to implement or complete their projects at a ceremony in Dubai tonight - the first ever Rolex Awards to be held in the Middle East. The laureates will also receive a specially inscribed gold Rolex chronometer.

Tradition of innovation

Five runners-up, the Associate Laureates, will each receive $50,000 (Dh183,690) and a steel and gold Rolex chronometer. The Associate Laureates are Alexis Belonio from the Philippines, Arturo Gonzalez and Rodrigo Medellin from Mexico and Moji Riba and Romulus Whitaker from India.

Rebecca Irvin, Director of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, said: "The Middle East has historically been the region that has yielded the smallest number of applications despite the Arab world's long-standing tradition of innovation and scientific discovery.

"An awareness campaign was launched to encourage people in the region to apply as we were convinced it could be home to a significant number of potential candidates. This series of the awards received an unprecedented number of applicants from the Middle East; up 300 per cent on the last series."

Six projects from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region were among the 44 globally shortlisted candidates for the 2008 awards including Habiba Al Marashi, head of the Emirates Environmental Group. The inaugural Rolex Middle East Forum, entitled "Encouraging Innovation for the Next Generation" takes place at Madinat Jumairah tomorrow.

Facets of creativity

Tim Bauer, 31, from Maryland in the US, was recognised for his innovative technology to reduce noxious emissions from two-stroke engines, also known as tuk tuks - a popular mode of transport in countries across Asia. Tim, who has been working in the Philippines, now plans to install thousands of kits, greatly improving air quality and providing drivers with a way to boost their income.

Andrew McGonigle, 35, from Edinburgh, Scotland, has developed a new means to safely and reliably predict volcanic eruptions using an unmanned aircraft. Millions of people across the world live in the shadow of an active volcano but Andrew's small-scale helicopter, which measures gases that escape from the volcanic event, aims to give people time to evacuate before an eruption occurs.

Andrew Muir, 43, from Cape Town, South Africa, was awarded for his conservation work in providing Aids orphans with life skills, training and jobs in South Africa's burgeoning ecotourism sector. His Umzi Wethu programme provides vulnerable youths with vocational training and jobs, while immersing them in their country's rich natural heritage.

Elsa Zaldivar, 48, from Asuncion, Paraguay, has brought an eco-friendly solution to her country's housing shortage by creating composite building materials made of plant and plastic waste. She takes leftover pieces of a vegetable sponge - a loofah - and mixes them with other vegetable matter and recycled plastic to form strong panels that can be assembled into simple structures including houses.