Abdulkader M. Afifi, Ph.D.

Faculty

Professor of Energy Resources and Petroleum Engineering

Research Interests

Prof. Afifi's goals are to contribute significantly to understanding the Earth and to educate younger generations of earth scientists. . His research interests are the regional geology of the Middle East, particularly the geological evolution of the Red Sea; conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon and geothermal resources; applications of geodynamics and mineral phase equilibria to geological processes; and the formation of hydrothermal mineral deposits.  He has worked as a geologist and consultant for over thirty years.

Prof. Afifi leads the Arabian Plate Geology research group.

Selected Publications

  • Kenkmann, T., Afifi, A. M., Stewart, S. A., Poelchau, M. H., Cook, D. J. and Neville, A. S. 2015, Saqqar: A 34 km diameter impact structure in Saudi Arabia. Meteoritics & Planetary Science. v. 50, p. 1925-1940.
  • Tubbs, R.E., Aly Fouda, H. G., Afifi, A.M., Raterman, N.S., Hughes, G.W., and Fadolalkarem, Y.K., 2014, Midyan Peninsula, northern Red Sea, Saudi Arabia: Seismic imaging and regional interpretation, GeoArabia, v. 19, p. 165-184.
  • Konert, G., Afifi, A.M., Al-Hajri, S.A., and Droste, H., 2001, Paleozoic stratigraphy and hydrocarbon habitat of the Arabian Plate: GeoArabia, v. 6, No. 3, p. 407-442.
  • Afifi, A.M. and Essene, E.J., 1988, MINFILE; a microcomputer program for storage and manipulation of chemical data on minerals:  American Mineralogist v. 73 (3-4), 446-448.
  • Afifi, A.M., Kelly, W.C., and Essene, Eric J., 1988, Phase Relations among tellurides, sulfides, and oxides: II. Applications to telluride-bearing ore deposits: Econ. Geology, v. 83, pp. 395-404.

Education

  • ​PhD in Geology, 1990, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.  
  • MS in Geology, 1981: Colorado School of Mines.
  • BS in Geology (high honors), 1977, King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals 

KAUST Affiliations

  • Red Sea Research Center (RSRC)
  • Ali I. Al-Naimi Petroleum Engineering Research Center (ANPERC)
  • Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE)
  • Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE)

Research Interests Keywords

Regional geology of the Middle East Geological evolution of the Red Sea Neotectonics