Three Saudis awarded prestigious Rhodes Scholarships to study at Oxford
The three gifted Saudis will head to the University of Oxford in October next year to pursue fully funded postgraduate studies.
RIYADH: Three outstanding Saudis have been awarded prestigious Rhodes Scholarships.
Osama Aljohani, Omar Alomran and Osama Dabbousi are set to join over a hundred fellow recipients from around the world at the University of Oxford in October next year.
Their scholarships will fund their postgraduate studies, marking the latest step in an illustrious journey for these talented individuals.The Rhodes Scholarship is widely recognized as the world’s oldest and foremost graduate fellowship.
Established at Oxford in 1902, the first scholars began their studies there the following year.
The inaugural award for Saudi Arabia was established in 2018, with additional scholarships added through gifts from Abdulrahman Alagil Sons.
These donors are co-founders of Jarir Bookstores, and their donations were made in collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Education.Eighteen students from Saudi Arabia have been awarded Rhodes Scholarships to date.
They have gone on to pursue careers in fields including genetics, medicine and the creative arts.
This year’s winners continue a fantastic legacy of excellence, organizers said.Osama Aljohani is a senior chemical engineering student at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, specializing in hydrogen mobility.
His undergraduate research focuses on crude-to-chemicals conversion using fluid catalytic cracking, with a particular emphasis on the evaluation of catalyst performance and operating conditions.
He completed an internship in Austin, Texas as a data and chemometrics analyst at JP3 Measurement.Aljohani is passionate about solving water scarcity through energy innovation.
His goal is to make renewable energy more reliable and dispatchable, especially through hydrogen storage and renewable integration, to enable sustainable desalination in arid regions.
At Oxford, he plans to pursue master’s degrees in energy systems and sustainability, enterprise and environment.Omar Alomran recently graduated from King Fahd University with a degree in software engineering, focusing on artificial intelligence.
He was awarded the Oxford/KAUST AI Program Scholarship and an exchange-semester scholarship to study at Georgia Tech.
His research has focused on public policy and international relations, particularly concerning Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.Alomran has worked for Thmanyah, a prominent Saudi media company, contributing economic and political coverage that reaches millions across the Arab world.
He is also an economist with several notable achievements, including receiving BCG’s Jeel Tamooh and Misk’s Ignited Voices fellowships.
At Oxford, Alomran plans to pursue a Master of Public Policy degree with a focus on advancing evidence-based economic and social reform in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East.Dabbousi is currently pursuing a master's degree in computer science at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.
His thesis focuses on GPU-accelerated, large-scale acoustic simulation.
He holds a degree in data science from Boston University, where he graduated at the top of his class as a KAUST Gifted Student Program scholar.
Dabbousi has also earned a US patent for his research at Aramco Americas and co-founded CSTIP, a student club at Boston University that teaches algorithms and interview preparation.Rick Trainor, interim warden and CEO of the Rhodes Trust, expressed delight in introducing the 2026 Class of Rhodes Scholars Elect.
He highlighted their diverse backgrounds and noted the positive contributions they will make through their studies and various initiatives.Prof. Christian Sahner, national secretary of the Rhodes Scholarships for Saudi Arabia, commended this year's winners for their outstanding academic records and impressive extracurricular achievements.
He looks forward to welcoming them to Oxford next year and anticipating their impact on both the Kingdom and the world.Education is a core element of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, which aims at national development and diversification.
The Rhodes Scholarships enable Saudi students to fully develop their skills and knowledge in fields that will contribute to achieving these goals, authorities stated.
Osama Aljohani, Omar Alomran and Osama Dabbousi are set to join over a hundred fellow recipients from around the world at the University of Oxford in October next year.
Their scholarships will fund their postgraduate studies, marking the latest step in an illustrious journey for these talented individuals.The Rhodes Scholarship is widely recognized as the world’s oldest and foremost graduate fellowship.
Established at Oxford in 1902, the first scholars began their studies there the following year.
The inaugural award for Saudi Arabia was established in 2018, with additional scholarships added through gifts from Abdulrahman Alagil Sons.
These donors are co-founders of Jarir Bookstores, and their donations were made in collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Education.Eighteen students from Saudi Arabia have been awarded Rhodes Scholarships to date.
They have gone on to pursue careers in fields including genetics, medicine and the creative arts.
This year’s winners continue a fantastic legacy of excellence, organizers said.Osama Aljohani is a senior chemical engineering student at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, specializing in hydrogen mobility.
His undergraduate research focuses on crude-to-chemicals conversion using fluid catalytic cracking, with a particular emphasis on the evaluation of catalyst performance and operating conditions.
He completed an internship in Austin, Texas as a data and chemometrics analyst at JP3 Measurement.Aljohani is passionate about solving water scarcity through energy innovation.
His goal is to make renewable energy more reliable and dispatchable, especially through hydrogen storage and renewable integration, to enable sustainable desalination in arid regions.
At Oxford, he plans to pursue master’s degrees in energy systems and sustainability, enterprise and environment.Omar Alomran recently graduated from King Fahd University with a degree in software engineering, focusing on artificial intelligence.
He was awarded the Oxford/KAUST AI Program Scholarship and an exchange-semester scholarship to study at Georgia Tech.
His research has focused on public policy and international relations, particularly concerning Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.Alomran has worked for Thmanyah, a prominent Saudi media company, contributing economic and political coverage that reaches millions across the Arab world.
He is also an economist with several notable achievements, including receiving BCG’s Jeel Tamooh and Misk’s Ignited Voices fellowships.
At Oxford, Alomran plans to pursue a Master of Public Policy degree with a focus on advancing evidence-based economic and social reform in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East.Dabbousi is currently pursuing a master's degree in computer science at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.
His thesis focuses on GPU-accelerated, large-scale acoustic simulation.
He holds a degree in data science from Boston University, where he graduated at the top of his class as a KAUST Gifted Student Program scholar.
Dabbousi has also earned a US patent for his research at Aramco Americas and co-founded CSTIP, a student club at Boston University that teaches algorithms and interview preparation.Rick Trainor, interim warden and CEO of the Rhodes Trust, expressed delight in introducing the 2026 Class of Rhodes Scholars Elect.
He highlighted their diverse backgrounds and noted the positive contributions they will make through their studies and various initiatives.Prof. Christian Sahner, national secretary of the Rhodes Scholarships for Saudi Arabia, commended this year's winners for their outstanding academic records and impressive extracurricular achievements.
He looks forward to welcoming them to Oxford next year and anticipating their impact on both the Kingdom and the world.Education is a core element of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, which aims at national development and diversification.
The Rhodes Scholarships enable Saudi students to fully develop their skills and knowledge in fields that will contribute to achieving these goals, authorities stated.
