Noreddine Ghaffour received his PhD degree in energy and process engineering from Montpellier University, France, in 1995. He is currently a professor of environmental science and engineering at KAUST. He has over 30 years of experience in the field of drinking water treatment technologies and has specialized in sustainable desalination processes. Over the years, he has made major contributions, becoming an internationally recognized expert in the field. He is the author of over 580 journal and conference publications, patents, and textbooks chapters. He is a frequent keynote speaker at international events. He also has experience in scaling up innovative processes and startups.