The World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries' Arab Regional Office (TWAS-ARO) acknowledges the generous support of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) for the Arab Regioanl Office activities.

TWAS selects annually new scientists from different developing countries who have attained the highest international standards and have made significant contributions to the advancement of science. These scientists are to be nominated as Fellows and their membership is for life. The new selected TWAS Members for 2016 were announced during the TWAS 14^th General Conference and 27^th General Meeting, held from 14 - 17, November 2016, Kigali, Rwanda. Among them, two Arab members were selected: Prof. Najoua Kamoun (Tunisia), and Prof. Mohamed El-Nimr (Jordan).  

TWAS-ARO awards annually Arab individuals who have made significant contributions to one of four areas among which the prizes rotate each year. The 2016 TWAS-ARO Regional Prize theme was “Building Scientific Institutions”. The prize is awarded in recognition of individuals who have played key roles in the establishment of vibrant scientific institutions and have significantly expanded the activities of already established institutions in the developing world.
The prize was awarded to the Arab scientist, Prof. Mohammed Shabat, Physics Department, Islamic University of Gaza, Palestine.

Every year, each of the five TWAS Regional Offices selects up to five scientists under the age of 40 years to become "TWAS Young Affiliates" for a period of five years.
This year, TWAS-ARO selected five young affiliates for the period 2016–2020. These young Arab scientists are: Dr. Ahmed Farag Ali (Egypt), Dr. Haikel Jelassi (Tunisia), Dr. Murad AlDamen (Jordan), Dr. Ramia AlBakain (Jordan) and Dr. Maha Nasr (Egypt).

TWAS-ARO offers an annual prize for Young Arab Scientists. The 2016 prize was under the theme: “The Implementation of Food Security Research for the Arab Region Sustainability”. The prize is awarded to young Arab scientists who contributed with research to sustainability of food security in the Arab world.
The prize was awarded jointly to the Arab young scientists: Dr. Haitham Sghaier, Associate Professor, National Center for Nuclear Sciences & Technology, Tunisia; and Dr. Mohamed ElHagarey, Researcher, Desert Research Center, Egypt.

TWAS/BioVisionAlexandria.NXT 2016 was the fourth BioVisionAlexandria.NXT to be organized in Alexandria, 10–11 April 2016. The event was held under the theme “Research Ethics and Social Responsibility”. It intended to explore research ethics in the developing world, and highlight its importance for society. It also identified researchers’ responsibilities to overcome obstacles in developing countries using quality controll and high standard research.
The TWAS/BVA.NXT 2016 participants were offered the opportunity to meet young scientists and professionals from different parts of the world.

BioVision.NXT is a fellowship program that allows young scientists to attend the Forum and meet, in a privileged manner, with high-level speakers. TWAS provided partial travel support for selected young scientists to attend this high-profile event.
BioVision.NXT Lyon 2016 was a two-day forum organized by the World Life Sciences Forum, BioVision in Lyon, France, 13–14 April 2016.
Each of the TWAS Regional Offices selected four eligible young scientists, in the field of life sciences, from the corresponding region.
Dr. Mennatallah Gowayed, selected and sponsored by TWAS-ARO, won the “2016 BioVision.NXT Award”.

TWAS-ARO held its 12^th Annual Meeting , 18–19 December 2016, for the first time outside Alexandria at the Dead Sea, Jordan.
On the occasion of the annual meeting, the "Sustainability in Food and Water: An Arab Viewpoint" Conference was held under the patronage of HRH Prince El-Hassan bin Talal, Jordan. The Conference tackled food security and water scarcity in the Arab region.
HRH Prince El-Hassan bin Talal gave a keynote speech at the Conference opening session.

TWAS-ARO mourns the loss of one of the most renowned scientists around the world: Prof. Ahmed Zewail, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry in 1999, who passed away on Tuesday, 2 August 2016.
Prof. Zewail (1946–2016), was Linus Pauling Chair Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Physics at Caltech (California Institute of Technology). He served as the Director of the National Science Foundation's Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (LMS), USA. On 27April 2009, former President Barack Obama, appointed him to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Prof. Zewail was TWAS member since 1989. He was also member of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Advisory Board and founding member of its Board of Trustees (2001–2006).
Prof. Zewail is the founder of Zewail City of Science and Technology, and served as its Chairman until he passed away. May his soul rest in peace.

TWAS-ARO congratulates Prof. Mostafa El-Sayed, Regents' Professor and Julius Brown Chair at Georgia Institute of Technology, USA, for being elected by the Board of Directors of Zewail City of Science and Technology to be the new Chairman of Zewail City and successor of the founder of Zewail City of Science and Technology, late Professor Ahmed Zewail.
Prof. El-Sayed was a Faculty member at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA until 1994 when he moved to Georgia Tech as the Julius Brown Chair and Regents’ Professor.
Prof. El-Sayed is an Elected Member of the US National Academy of Sciences (1980), an Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1986), an Elected Member of the TWAS (1984).
TWAS-ARO wishes Prof. El-Sayed success with his new endeavors.

TWAS-ARO mourns the loss of one of the eminent women scientists in the Arab world, Prof. Najia Kbir-Ariguib (Tunisia). Prof. Kbir-Ariguib (1937–2016) was a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Tunis, and Founder and former Director of the Tunisian National Institute of Scientific and Technical Research, Tunisia.
Prof. Kbir-Ariguib was a member of TWAS since 1985, and member of the Tunisian Chemical Society and of the National Consultative Council of Scientific Research and Technology.  She was a fellow of several organizations, as the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and Arab Academy of Sciences, and others. May her soul rest in peace.

TWAS is seeking nominations for the TWAS 2017 Prizes and the 2017 TWAS-Siwei Cheng Prize in Economic Sciences.TWAS 2017 Prizes will be awarded to individual scientists who have been working and living in a developing country for at least ten years prior to their nomination, in recognition of an outstanding contribution to knowledge or an outstanding contribution to the application of science and technology to sustainable development. 
The newly-established TWAS-Siwei Cheng Prize in Economic Sciences will be awarded to an individual scientist for outstanding contribution in both understanding and addressing economic sciences. 
Deadline for Application:  31 March 2017