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Former Prime Minister Dr. Adnan Badran sponsored the announcement and distribution ceremony for the ninth edition of the Khalil Al-Salem Agricultural Awards for 2026, held on Saturday morning at the University of Petra. The event was jointly organized by the Khalil Al-Salem Charity Association and the Kadoorie Tulkarm Alumni Club Association.
​Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Badran emphasized that the award serves as a commitment to honoring scientific innovation and research that advances human well-being and land management. He praised Eng. Ibrahim Khalil Al-Salem, head of the charity association, for maintaining the initiative for over a decade in memory of his late father, an early graduate of the historic Kadoorie Agricultural School established in 1930, which has since evolved into Palestine Technical University.
​Dr. Badran highlighted the unprecedented challenges confronting the agricultural sector, including climate change, water scarcity, land degradation, and the imperative to ensure food security. He stressed that addressing these threats requires leveraging Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, artificial intelligence, automated processes, and vertical farming techniques to convert scientific research into practical solutions for sustainable development.
​During the ceremony, awards were presented by Dr. Badran, Eng. Ibrahim Al-Salem, and Kadoorie Alumni Club President Eng. Abdallah Abu Ghoush, following evaluations by a judging panel chaired by Dr. Abdallah Al-Musa alongside Dr. Bassam Snober and Dr. Zouqan Heneidi. The award for Best Scientific Research in Agricultural Sciences was presented to Dr. Nidaa Mohammad Ismail Salem. The award for Best Scientific Research in Food Security was awarded jointly to Dr. Raed Mahmoud Al-Atiyat and Dr. Hadeel Shafee Subh. Meanwhile, the award for Best Research in Water Resources and Preservation was shared between Dr. Omar As'ad Ahmad and Dr. Osama Issa Mohammad Mahawesh, while the award for Best Agricultural Sciences Book was withheld by the judging panel.
​Source: Rum News Agency