Fadel Adib, Associate Professor at the MIT Media Lab and the MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), has been awarded the Great Arab Minds (GAM) prize in the Engineering + Technology category for 2023. 

The award was announced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Dubai. Great Arab Minds is a new initiative launched this year to honor and recognize Arab intellectuals in six different categories: Medicine, Natural Sciences, Engineering + Technology, Architecture and Design, Literature and Arts, and Economics. Professor Adib is the inaugural recipient of the prize in Engineering + Technology.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sheikh Mohammed recognized Adib for his "exceptional contributions to the fields of wireless technology and wireless sensing," including over 80 papers and patents on wireless communication, seeing through walls and under rubble, and battery-free devices for ocean exploration.

“I am honored with this recognition,” said Professor Adib, who is also the founding director of the Signal Kinetics research group at the MIT Media Lab. His group develops innovative wireless and sensing technologies for applications in climate, health, robotics, and human-computer interaction. “The award demonstrates an exciting shift in the Arab world toward more focus on science, innovation, and impact.” 

“We’re all proud and delighted to have Adib get this strong recognition for blazing all of his amazing trails,” said Professor Joseph Paradiso, Alexander W. Dreyfoos Professor and the Associate Academic Head of the  Media Lab's Program in Media Arts and Sciences. 

The GAM prize includes one million AED for each recipient to further their research projects and efforts. The winners will be invited to a ceremony in the UAE in January 2024 to receive the award.