With the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physics being announced on Sunday and Monday and the announcement of the Chemistry prize on Tuesday, the absence of Arab candidates has again come into sharp focus. This state of affairs, according to Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabe'a, Health Affairs Executive Manager in the National Guard, is the inevitable consequence of Arab nations lagging behind in current scientific research. Al-Rabe'a has not lost hope that an Arab may achieve future recognition in medicine from the Nobel Committee, and sees particular hope in work on DNA and the fighting and treatment of cancer and AIDS, while work on atomic particles stands a chance of winning the coveted physics prize. Dr. Al-Rabe'a has previously been nominated for the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his pioneering work in the separation of Siamese twins, putting the Kingdom at the forefront of work in this field. A number of specialist Internet sites nominated Al-Rabe'a for the prize based on his numerous activities in medicine and his membership in several specialized international academies and societies, notably the French National Academy of Surgery, which is highly regarded by the Swedish academy and accession to it is often considered a major step on the way to the Nobel. The Swedish academy is expected to announce on Thursday the Nobel Prize for Literature and on Friday the Peace Prize, followed by the prize for Economics on Monday, Oct. 13. – Okaz __
