Ahood bint Mohammed Al-Ghadani, a PhD researcher at Sultan Qaboos University, has received the 2025 L’Oréal–UNESCO Young Talents Award for the Middle East for her research titled “Designing Innovative Packaging to Reduce Post-Harvest Losses in Oman.”

Her research addresses one of the most significant challenges in the food supply chain: post-harvest loss. It seeks to develop innovative, research-based solutions in the field of packaging design.

She employs finite element modelling to simulate how agricultural products and their packaging respond to mechanical forces, such as vibrations during transport, with the aim of developing more efficient designs that help protect fruits and vegetables from damage throughout the supply chain.

The award aims to promote the participation of young women in science from the GCC countries and Yemen. It recognises talented young female researchers in the life sciences (such as biology, biochemistry, biophysics, genetics, physiology, neuroscience, biotechnology, health sciences/COVID-19, ecology and behaviour) as well as the physical sciences (including physics, chemistry, petroleum engineering, mathematics, engineering sciences, information sciences, earth sciences and cosmology).

A number of Omani women have previously received this award, including Dr. Rayhana bint Abdulmunim Al-Mujaini in 2011, Dr. Athraa bint Hilal Al-Maawali in 2015, Dr. Lamya bint Adnan Al-Hajj in 2018, Dr. Fatma bint Ali Al-Maamari in 2019, and Dr. Maha bint Zakaria Al-Riyami in 2022.