This summer, Imran Alturkistani, a high school student from Misk Schools, is taking part in a research internship with the DESAL Research Group at KAUST as part of the SRSI program. Motivated by a previous project on green hydrogen production from seawater, Imran developed a strong interest in addressing freshwater scarcity and contributing to sustainable solutions.

During his time with DESAL, Imran is working on the development of a new membrane for interfacial solar steam generation, a promising technique for efficient water treatment. Through hands-on lab work, he learnt to operate advanced equipment such as the water contact angle measurement system and gained practical experience in membrane fabrication and characterization.

Reflecting on his experience, Imran shares: “Working with the DESAL Research Group at KAUST is preparing me for university and my future as a researcher from an early stage. It's helping me understand what it’s really like to work on solving real-world problems—not just learning about them in theory.”

Looking ahead, he aspires to contribute to research that ensures global access to clean drinking water, making water scarcity a thing of the past.

At DESAL, we’re proud to support young researchers like Imran and look forward to seeing the impact he’ll make in the field of sustainable water treatment.