Hashemite University professor named 1st Rolex Awards Laureate from Middle East for Petra conservation work

Dr. Akasheh, who earned the global recognition for his work to conserve Petra by assembling a comprehensive geo-archaeological information system, received one of five Rolex Awards for 2008, along with US$100,000 in project funds and a Rolex chronometer at a VIP ceremony in Dubai last week. He and four other recipients from South Africa, Paraguay, the United Kingdom and the United States now join a global network of 110 visionaries from 40 countries who have received vital project support and recognition from the Swiss watchmaker since the Awards were founded in 1976.

After devoting 26 years to documenting the ancient monuments of Petra, the 61-year-old Dr. Akasheh is creating an information system that will inform future conservation efforts at the nation's beloved, yet threatened, historic site.

Dr. Akasheh said the money from the Rolex Awards would go towards hiring additional staff to complete the geo-archaeological information system and its database.

"I am extremely honored to receive this prestigious international award, which is not just for me but for all of Jordan and the Arab world, and for all who care about Petra."

Akasheh said.

"The most important part of this award is that it will lead to other sources of support for the giant job of preserving this beautiful, important place."

The Rolex Award will help complete the most thorough documentation of the site since its rediscovery in 1912 and will help build archaeological and scientific capacity in Jordan, he added.

Akasheh thanked the Rolex Awards for their sustained outreach to individuals, NGOs, academia and governments across the region over the last year.

For more than 30 years, Rolex has supported pioneering work in science and medicine, technology and innovation, exploration and discovery, the environment and cultural heritage.

The win for Jordan and the Arab world follows intensive outreach and activity by Rolex in the MENA region over the last 18 months.

"The Rolex Awards for Enterprise enable the work of global pioneers who are breaking new ground in their fields, and improving lives worldwide," said Patrick Heiniger, Chief Executive Officer of Rolex. "We are proud to support these truly original thinkers, and salute them for their ingenuity and commitment of purpose."

Rebecca Irvin, Director of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, said: "We are very pleased to welcome the first Rolex Awards Laureate from the Middle East among our 2008 winners. Given the Arab world's long-standing tradition of innovation and scientific discovery and its rich cultural heritage, we were convinced that the region could be home to a significant number of potential candidates, and we are delighted to include one among our ranks of Laureates this year. We look forward to increasing our involvement in the region in the future."

The 2008 Rolex Laureates - chosen from nearly 1,500 applicants in 127 countries by an independent panel of scientists, educators, economists and other experts - also include:

•Tim Bauer (U.S.), 31, who is using innovative technology to retrofit polluting two-stroke vehicle engines that are common in the Philippines, helping to alleviate a major environmental and public-health risk.

•Andrew McGonigle (U.K.), 35, a physicist who is developing a new means to safely and reliably predict volcanic eruptions using an unmanned aircraft.

•Andrew Muir (South Africa), 43, a conservationist providing Aids orphans with life skills, training, and jobs in South Africa's burgeoning ecotourism sector.

•Elsa Zaldívar (Paraguay), 48, who is bringing an eco-friendly solution to her country's housing shortage by creating composite building materials made of plant and plastic waste to construct affordable housing.

The 2008 Rolex Award winners were chosen by an independent, voluntary jury of international experts, chaired by Patrick Heiniger.

This year's Selection Committee members are: Dr Vikram Akula, founder and CEO of SKS Microfinance; Mr Etienne Bourgois, head of a French clothing company and expedition leader; Professor Denise Bradley, president of the Australian College of Educators; Dr Geh Min, ophthalmologist, environmentalist and president of the Nature Society of Singapore; Professor Farkhonda Hassan, Egyptian geologist and professor at the American University in Cairo; Dr Rodrigo Jordán, educator and explorer from Chile; Ms Yolanda Kakabadse, Ecuadorian environmentalist and champion of sustainable development; Dr Phil Nuytten, Canadian pioneer of the commercial diving industry; Dr Ivo Pitanguy, plastic surgeon and director of the Ivo Pitanguy Clinic and Institute in Brazil; Dr Anatoly M. Sagalevitch, Russian oceanologist and head of the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology's Laboratory of Manned Submersibles; Professor Emil Salim, professor of economics at the University of Indonesia; and Dr Kathryn D. Sullivan, director of the Battelle Center for Math and Science Education Policy at Ohio State University and former NASA astronaut.

The Rolex Awards were held in the Middle East for the first time this year, under the patronage of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.