Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed
Executive Director
Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed is a recognized leader in Middle Eastern environmental diplomacy focusing on renewable energy technology and regional cooperation.
Dr. Abu Hamed first joined the Arava Institute in 2008 as the founder of the Arava Institute’s Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation.
In 2013 he left the Arava Institute for the Israeli Ministry of Science, Technology and Space. There Dr. Abu Hamed served as Vice and Deputy Chief Scientist, at the time the highest ranking Palestinian in the Israeli government.
In 2018 Dr. Abu Hamed returned to the Arava Institute as its Academic Director, and since 2021 he is the Executive Director.
Professional Recognition
Israeli President Herzog’s Climate Forum keynote speaker, Dr. Abu Hamed co-chairs the task force on Regional Cooperation and Security.
‘One of 48 Israelis shaping Israel and the world, today and into the future’ by Israel 21c.
Recipient of the 2024 American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS) David and Betty Hamburg Award for Science Diplomacy for his leadership in using science to build relationships across the Middle East, particularly between Israelis and Palestinians, to work together to address mutual environmental concerns.
Dan David Prize scholar for ‘The Production of Solar Hydrogen by Two-Step Water Splitting Thermochemical Cycle’.
University Guest Speaker
Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed gives lectures at Cyprus Institute, Duke University, University of California Davis, University of California San Diego, and Michigan State University.
Education
Dr. Abu Hamed holds a Bachelor and a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Gazi University (Turkey), and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Ankara University (Turkey).
He has completed two terms of postdoctoral research, one at the Environmental Science and Energy Research Department of the Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel), and the second at the University of Minnesota’s Mechanical Engineering Department Solar Energy Lab (USA).
Dr. Abu Hamed also holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Hebrew University (Israel).
Recent publications
Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative, Report of the task force on energy systems, Cyprus Institute (2022). Online
Kádár, J.; Pilloni, M.; Abu Hamed, T. A Survey of Renewable Energy, Climate Change, and Policy Awareness in Israel: The Long Path for Citizen Participation in the National Renewable Energy Transition, Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 5, 1- 16. Online
Tareq Abu Hamed and Tali Zohar. The Path Toward Low Carbon Energy Systems in Israel: Regional Cooperation for Mitigation of and Adaption to the Effects of Climate Change. 2023. Online
Kádár J, Abdelshakour O, Zohar T, Hamed TA. Feasibility Assessment of a Small-Scale Agrivoltaics-Based Desalination Plant with Flywheel Energy Storage—Case Study: Namibia. Sustainability. 2024; 16(9):3685. Online
Toni Feder. Q&A: Tareq Abu Hamed champions environmental cooperation in the Middle East.Physics Today 77 (10), 26–28 (2024) Online
Dokupilová, D.; Stojilovska, A.; Palma, P.; Gouveia, J.P.; Paschalidou, E.G.; Barrella, R.; Feenstra, M.; Horta, A.; Sánchez-Guevara, C.; Kádár, J.; Abu Hamed, T.; et al. Exploring Energy Poverty in Urban and Rural Contexts in the Era of Climate Change: A Comparative Analysis of European Countries and Israel. Energies 2024, 17, 2939. Online
Enhancing water management in smart agriculture: a cloud and IoT-Based smart irrigation system. Results in Engineering, 22 (2024). Online
