Professor Mohammad Hayal Alotaibi, CChem, CSci, FRSC is the General Manager of the Institute of Waste Management and Recycling Technologies at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), and a Professor of Organic Chemistry. With 26 years of experience in research and leadership, he holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Cardiff University (2008). He has led five research centers and institutes at KACST, including serving as Director of the National Center for Chemical Catalysts, and has a strong track record in building cross-disciplinary teams that connect materials science with circular-economy and waste-to-value outcomes. His research covers organic synthesis and catalysis, perovskite solar cells (including a visiting appointment at EPFL with Prof. Michael Grätzel), and waste-to-energy/Waste-to-X pathways such as pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion, biochar, and advanced gas cleaning materials. He has ~90 publications and 2,160+ citations with an h-index of 26 (as of Dec 2025). He is a Topical Associate Editor for Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy (Springer Nature) and is frequently invited to speak on waste management, energy, green chemistry, and advanced materials.