The award is in recognition of his efforts at the Arab and international levels.
Rabat – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have awarded their gold medal to Moroccan agronomist Abdelouahab Zaid.
FAO general director Jose Graziano da Silva handed the medal to the Moroccan researcher at the 41st Congress of the organization, held on June 20-22 in Rome
Zaid serves as the secretary general of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm.
He is also the general coordinator of the International Date Palm Network. On January 16, 2003, the researcher was selected among the four permanent consulting members of the Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development.
The researcher also serves as the general director of the Arab Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.
The researcher, who is the FAO Goodwill Ambassador, holds a degree in Agronomy from the Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute, Morocco.
He also holds a PhD in Horticulture from Colorado State University, US.
The researcher’s resume shows a full repertoire,. including two Post-Doctoral studies sponsored by the Fulbright Foundation and UNESCO.
Zaid also served the Moroccan government for 15 years.
Further achievements are listed on his resume.;“From Tissue Culture Specialist, to the position of Head of the Plant Physiology Laboratory at the National Institute of Agronomic Research, and subsequently passed to the position of Director of the National Centre of Biotechnology.”.
Zaid also worked at the Department of Botany University Cadi Ayyad, Marrakech.
In addition to the gold medal, FAO also honored the researcher with its FAO – B.R. SEN Award in 1999.
According to FAO, the researcher has written several scientific books, “most notably the book on Date Palm, which was published by FAO in Arabic and English and the Glossary of Biotechnology Terminology in Agriculture and Food, first published in English and translated into five languages.”
“Prof. Abdelouahhab Zaid was able to establish strong relations with those concerned with and interested in Date Palm: agriculture, industry and trade, inside the UAE and abroad.” FAO said, in praise of the scientist.
“ He provided scientific and technical consultations to many bodies to promote the cultivation of Date Palm and increase the productivity of dates. Also, he has contributed to this activity in support of the UAE position in this field,” Concluded FAO.
