Pakistani among team of researchers to win prestigious Gordon Bell Prize for Climate Modelling

In this photo, released by the Lahore University of Management Sciences on November 27, 2024, Pakistani professor Dr. Zubair Khalid gestures during the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) conference in Atlanta. (Photo courtesy: LUMS)
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Updated 10 December 2024
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Pakistani among team of researchers to win prestigious Gordon Bell Prize for Climate Modelling

  • LUMS associate professor Dr. Zubair Khalid becomes first Pakistani to win prize for high-performance computing applications
  • Award honors innovation in using supercomputers to solve complex problems in science, engineering and other fields

ISLAMABAD: A multi-institutional team of researchers, including a Pakistani academic, has won the Gordon Bell Prize for Climate Modelling by creating an advanced predictive model for climate analysis, a statement from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) said.
LUMS Associate Professor Dr. Zubair Khalid was part of the 12-member team that won the award, which recognizes innovative parallel computing contributions toward solving the global climate crisis. 
The team presented the project, titled, “Boosting Earth System Model Outputs and Saving PetaBytes in Their Storage Using Exascale Climate Emulators,” at the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) conference that was held in Atlanta earlier this November.
“The university has been instrumental in supporting my contributions to this endeavour by fostering an environment that encourages interdisciplinary research and collaboration,” LUMS said in a statement, quoting Dr. Khalid.




In this photo, released by the Lahore University of Management Sciences on November 27, 2024, Pakistani professor Dr. Zubair Khalid gestures with a group of multi-institutional team of researchers (3R) during the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) conference in Atlanta. (Photo courtesy: LUMS)

“Through my Center for Urban Informatics, Technology, and Policy, the university facilitated my engagement with global research networks and positioned me to contribute to high-impact international projects.”
Dean of the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering at LUMS, Dr. Walther Schwarzacher, congratulated Dr. Khalid for winning the prestigious award.
“This remarkable achievement highlights the outstanding contributions that the School’s faculty are making to address some of the greatest scientific challenges facing our society,” the statement quoted Schwarzacher as saying.
The Gordon Bell Prize is presented by the Association for Computing Machinery each year in conjunction with the SC Conference series, formerly known as the Supercomputing Conference. The prize was established in 1987. A cash award of $10,000 (since 2011) accompanies the recognition, funded by Gordon Bell, a pioneer in high-performance and parallel computing.


Pakistan leaders wish Saudi King Salman well after hospital admission for tests

Updated 16 January 2026
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Pakistan leaders wish Saudi King Salman well after hospital admission for tests

  • Pakistani PM and President express concern, pray for the King's swift recovery
  • The official Saudi media has not shared the nature of the King’s visit to the hospital

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s prime minister and president on Friday expressed concern over the health of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz, offering prayers and well wishes after state media said he had been admitted to hospital in Riyadh for medical examinations.

The Saudi Press Agency reported the King was undergoing medical tests at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, with no further information regarding the nature of the visit or his medical condition.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistanis held the Saudi King in high regard and were praying for his recovery.

“Deeply concerned by the news that Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is admitted in hospital for medical tests,” he said. “The people of Pakistan hold His Majesty in the highest esteem. We join our Saudi brothers and sisters in praying for His Majesty’s swift and complete recovery.”

President Asif Ali Zardari also conveyed his wishes, saying the entire Pakistani nation was praying for the Saudi King’s health and well-being, according to a statement issued by the presidency.

Pakistan has longstanding diplomatic and institutional ties with Saudi Arabia, and its leadership has consistently expressed deep respect for the Saudi royal family, particularly in view of the Kingdom’s religious significance and its role in the Muslim world.