King Fahd Bin Abdulaziz
Al Saud Chair
About
The Chair
Arabian Gulf University has had the honor of hosting the Chair of the Late Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in the field of medical biotechnology since the 1997–1998 academic year, with a generous one-time grant of one and a half million Saudi riyals. This chair, which is the first academic chair at the Arabian Gulf University, honors the legacy of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz and his pioneering roles in supporting scientific research and promoting scientific and technological development.
The chair aims to support the university’s efforts to localize the latest biotechnology and integrate it into the Gulf economic cycle, as well as to foster a culture of research and innovation. The King Fahd Chair is considered one of the most important academic chairs at Arabian Gulf University, as it helps the university elevate its academic and research activities to the highest scientific standards and enables it to actively contribute to enriching research and providing outstanding service in medical fields related to biotechnology—which is considered one of the greatest scientific achievements of our time—so that Gulf and Arab citizens may benefit from it.
Scientific
Field
Medical Biotechnology
SCOPE OF
WORK
Scientific Research and Collaboration
Enhancing research output through scientific publications and expanding collaboration with universities and specialized centers in the Gulf region and internationally to develop joint research projects that support innovation and knowledge exchange.
Education
Preparing master’s and doctoral students to achieve a high level of proficiency in the field of biomedical technology and organizing specialized training programs and workshops to support the development of research capabilities in the field of biomedical technology.
Capacity Building
Providing professional development programs for faculty members and researchers to keep pace with the latest developments in the field of biomedical technology.
Scholarships
Offering academic and training scholarships to outstanding students from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, with the aim of preparing qualified young researchers who will contribute to the development of medical biotechnology.
Researches
Sater, M.S.; Giha, H.A. Toll of Chronic Metabolic Acidosis at Molecular, Cellular, and Systemic Levels: A Conceptual Framework to Revisit Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) Pathophysiology. Biomedicines. 2026, 14, 901. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14040901
Ezzidi, I.; Sarray, S.; Alfaqih, M.A.; Mtiraoui, N. ADIPOQ Variants rs1501299 and rs3774261 and Hypoadiponectinemia in Obese Women with PCOS: Genetic and Metabolic Interactions. Life. 2026, 16(1), 24. https://doi.org/10.3390/life16010024
Sater, M.S.; AlDehaini, D.M.B.; Malalla, Z.H.A.; Ali, M.E.; Giha, H.A. A Perceived Dissociation Between Systemic Chronic Inflammation, Age, and the Telomere/Telomerase System in Type 2 Diabetes. Biomedicines. 2025, 13(3), 531. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13030531
Sater, M.S.; Malalla, Z.H.A.; Ali, M.E.; Giha, H.A. Downstream Link of Vitamin D Pathway with Inflammation Irrespective of Plasma 25OHD3: Hints from Vitamin D Binding Protein (DBP) and Receptor (VDR) Gene Polymorphisms. Biomedicines. 2025, 13, 385. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13020385
Sater, M.S.; Almansour, N.; Malalla, Z.H.A.; Fredericks, S.; Ali, M.E.; Giha, H.A. Potentials of Presepsin as a Novel Sepsis Biomarker in Critically Ill Adults: Correlation Analysis with the Current Diagnostic Markers. Diagnostics. 2025, 15, 217. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15020217
Sater, M.S.; Malalla, Z.H.A.; Ali, M.E.; Giha, H.A. A Panel of Diverse Inflammatory Biomarkers Is Not Associated with BMI-Calibrated Obesity nor with Dyslipidemia or Dysglycemia in Clinically Healthy Adults Aged 20 to 40 Years. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2025, 22, 207. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22020207
Sater, M.S.; Almansour, N.; Malalla, Z.H.A.; Ali, M.E.; Fredericks, S.; Giha, H.A. Serum Platelet and Bilirubin Levels as Potential Predictors of Septic Shock in Adults with Sepsis Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine. 2025, 18(1), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.62347/KDCD8395
Ashoor, D.; Marzouq, M.; Fathallah, M. Comparison of the Neutralization Power of Sotrovimab Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants: Development of a Rapid Computational Method. JMIR Bioinformatics and Biotechnology. 2024, 5, e58018. https://doi.org/10.2196/58018
Trabelsi, K.; Ben Khalaf, N.; Ramadan, A.R.; Elsharkawy, A.; Ashoor, D.; Chlif, S.; Boussoffara, T.; Ben-Ahmed, M.; Kumar, M.; Fathallah, M.D. A Novel Approach to Designing Viral Precision Vaccines Applied to SARS-CoV-2. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 2024, 14, 1346349. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2024.1346349
Key Achievements
- Publication of more than 30 scientific papers in peer-reviewed international journals
- Establishment of a research and development unit for fourth-generation biologics.
- Development of three monoclonal antibodies for the treatment and diagnosis of certain types of cancer.
- Development of a second-generation vaccine against the coronavirus and registration of two patents with the USPTO and WIPO.
- Training of 3 Gulf researchers through a postdoctoral program (two years per researcher).
- Supervision of 7 Ph.D. students in health biotechnology and molecular medicine.
- Training of more than 200 Gulf and Arab participants in the field of medical biotechnology.
- Organized a series of distinguished scientific activities on a regular basis, including workshops, training courses, and regional and international scientific conferences in the fields of biotechnology and bioinformatics.