Saudi-American Nobel Laureate Omar Yaghi shares his story in first interview since win

Saudi-American citizen Omar Yaghi, who has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday, shared his journey from early life as a refugee in Jordan to a prominent chemist in a “First Reactions” interview published by the Nobel committee.

Yaghi shares his win with scientists Susumu Kitagawa and Richard Robson “for the development of metal–organic frameworks”, the award-giving body said.

In his first interview since the win, he spoke about his early life as a refugee in Jordan and the overwhelming draw of the beauty of chemistry: “I set out to build beautiful things and solve intellectual problems.”

The new Nobel laureate said he was “astonished, delighted, overwhelmed” upon receiving the news.

Born into a family of refugees, he described his humble beginnings in Jordan, where he said a dozen people shared a room with the cattle they raised.

“My parents could barely read or write. It’s been quite a journey, science allows you to do it.”

He called science the “greatest equalizing force in the world.”

Born in Jordan to Palestinian parents, Yaghi was granted Saudi citizenship in 2021 through a royal approval that had been issued to grant Saudi citizenship to several prominent specialists from different fields.