Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa
Al Thani Chair
About
The Chair
The Arabian Gulf University has hosted the His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Academic Chair in Geographic Information Systems since the 1997–1998 academic year. The university developed a comprehensive academic program during the 2001–2002 academic year with the goal of building Gulf capacity in geospatial science applications and their use in addressing priority environmental problems and issues in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
The Chair’s objectives focus on building capacity and developing Gulf knowledge and skills in geospatial technologies and spatial artificial intelligence. It also aims to publish distinguished scientific research in the applications of geospatial technologies and spatial artificial intelligence. It also aims to establish collaborative and research partnerships with relevant public and private sector institutions, universities, and Gulf organizations.
Scientific
Field
Geographic Information Systems
SCOPE OF
WORK
Wide range of areas
The Chair’s achievements have spanned a wide range of areas, including academic and research accomplishments, training, and community service. The Chair’s academic staff has contributed to organizing seminars, conferences, and training workshops with numerous Gulf, Arab, and international organizations in recent years, focusing on training sessions on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), conferences on climate change and soil salinity dynamics, integrated pest management for date palms, specialized conferences on geoinformatics and Earth sciences, and interactive seminars and workshops on promoting the use of geospatial technologies in conjunction with spatial artificial intelligence.
The Chair’s objectives focus on building capacity and developing Gulf knowledge and skills in geospatial technologies and spatial artificial intelligence. It also aims to publish outstanding scientific research on the applications of geospatial technologies and spatial artificial intelligence, as well as to establish collaborative and research partnerships with relevant Gulf-based government and private institutions, universities, and organizations.
Key Achievements
Scientific Research
The Chair’s academic research has focused on reviewing and analyzing the accelerating impacts of climate change and human activities on terrestrial and marine resources and their sustainability, utilizing geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and spatial modeling. This research covered a wide range of topics, including the assessment of spatiotemporal changes and carbon stocks; calculating potential carbon dioxide emissions from mangrove trees; the impact of human activities on land-use changes; reviewing the areas and distribution of seagrass beds; and systematic reviews of the cultural significance of oysters in the Arabian Gulf.
Research partnerships with government institutions
- National Initiative for Agricultural Development: Assessment of the contribution of urban tree planting to carbon sequestration and storage in the Kingdom of Bahrain, 2021–2023.
- Bahrain Pearl and Gemstone Institute (DANAT). Assessment of the Impact of Climate Change on the Distribution and Abundance of Pearl Oysters and Seagrasses, and on Carbon Sequestration and Storage in the Kingdom of Bahrain, 2025–2026.