DAMMAM: SIRAJ WAHAB
A respected member of the Indian expatriate community in the Eastern Province and an award-winning researcher was given a warm send-off by senior members of the community.
Dr. S.M. Javaid Zaidi, an alumnus of India’s Aligarh Muslim University and a chemical engineering topper, was engaged in innovative research at the prestigious King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). He is moving this week with his family to Australia where he is set to join the University of Queensland.
At the farewell event, two well-known members of the Indian academic community, Mukarram Ali Khan and Dr. Jamil Ahmad Qureshy, highlighted Javaid Zaidi’s academic accomplishments.
“A father of three, he is among the brightest students of AMU and brought laurels to the community with his academic pursuits,” said Qureshy. “It is always good to move on to keep yourselves in the constant pursuit of excellence.”
Prominent among those present at the farewell were Parvez Qader Askari, Anis Bakhsh, Jawaid Ali Khan, Nafis Tarin, Feroz Fazal, Rizwanullah, Saeed Malik, Shah Faiz and Ibadullah Siddiqui.
All of them recalled Javaid Zaidi’s efforts in raising the profile of the community by winning the Almarai Prize for Scientific Innovation. He was among the first Indians to receive the award from Riyadh Gov. Prince Sattam in June 2012.
“We will remember Javaid Zaidi for all the good work that he has done in his area of research and for the larger good of the community,” said Askari.