Professor of Field Irrigation and Water Relations | Head of Agricultural Applications Department
Professor and Researcher in agricultural water management, remote sensing, GIS, climate modeling, and climate-smart agriculture, with more than 20 years of international experience. Specialized in satellite data integration, evapotranspiration modeling, crop monitoring, drought risk assessment, soil salinity mapping, and water productivity optimization under arid and semi-arid conditions. Demonstrated leadership in multidisciplinary research and strategic projects across Egypt, KSA, China, Italy, and in collaboration with international organizations including ICARDA, CIHEAM Bari, and AOAD (LAS). Advanced expertise in cloud computing (Google Earth Engine), artificial intelligence, and machine learning (Python) for geospatial analytics and real-time agricultural decision-support systems. Patent holder of an IoT-based smart agricultural management system. Author of numerous high-impact scientific publications and Principal Investigator/Co-Principal Investigator on more than 25 national and international research projects focused on water security, sustainable agriculture, and climate change adaptation.
Leading agricultural applications and international research collaboration at NARSS, Egypt
National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS), Egypt
November 2025 – Present
Leading and managing research in agricultural applications, focusing on remote sensing, GIS, and sustainable agricultural development.
National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS), Egypt
2022 – Present
Leading advanced research in agricultural applications with emphasis on field irrigation and water relations.
National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS), Egypt
2025 – Present
Supporting the development and implementation of international cooperation policies, strengthening partnerships with global research institutions and the BRICS group, monitoring funding and capacity-building opportunities, establishing performance indicators for international collaboration, and enhancing the Authority's strategic engagement within Egypt's expanding space and research diplomacy framework.
Egyptian Company for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences
2024 – Present
Providing strategic governance and scientific oversight to advance the commercialization of satellite-based Earth observation technologies for applications in agriculture, water resources management, climate monitoring, and sustainable development.
Over 20 years of international research and consulting experience
National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC), KSA
July 2025 – November 2025
Provided expertise in drought assessment and combating desertification.
Decision Support Center—Egypt Council of Ministers
2023–2025
Advised on remote sensing and GIS applications for decision support.
Environment Horizons Co., KSA
2024 – June 2025
Applied remote sensing and GIS for environmental projects.
CIHEAM-Bari
2023–2024 (Remotely)
Conducted remote sensing analysis for agricultural development.
Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD, LAS), Cairo office
2022–2024 (Part-time)
Contributed to agricultural development projects using remote sensing and GIS.
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)
2021–2022
Provided geospatial research consultancy for dryland agriculture.
National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS), Egypt
2017–2022
Conducted research and teaching in field irrigation and water relations.
Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD, LAS), Cairo office
2019–2020 (Part-time)
Supported agricultural initiatives with remote sensing and GIS expertise.
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI), China
2018–2019
Taught and researched remote sensing and digital earth applications.
Florence University, Italy
January 2015 – June 2015
Conducted postdoctoral research in agricultural water management.
Zagazig University, Egypt
2013–2014 (Part-time)
Lectured on remote sensing and GIS.
Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD, LAS), Cairo office
2012–2015 (Part-time)
Consulted on remote sensing and GIS for agricultural development.
Agricultural Application Department, National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS), Egypt
2009–2012
Assisted in agricultural application research.
Agricultural Application Department, National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS), Egypt
2005–2009
Specialized in agricultural applications.
Academic qualifications from leading institutions in Egypt and Europe
Bio-system Engineering
Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
February 2009 - May 2012
Bio-system Engineering
Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
February 2006 - October 2008
Agriculture and Food Production in Arid Lands
Milan University (Italy) and Ain Shams University (Egypt)
February 2006 – February 2007
Agricultural Engineering Department
Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
October 2000 - June 2004
Specialized knowledge areas developed through 20+ years of research
Satellite data integration, crop monitoring, land cover classification, and spatial analysis for agricultural applications using multi-sensor platforms (Landsat, Sentinel, MODIS).
Advanced ET estimation using remote sensing, climate models, and field measurements for water management and irrigation scheduling under arid conditions.
Climate change impact assessment, drought risk analysis, heat and water stress projections, and adaptation strategies for agriculture using CMIP6 scenarios.
Sustainable agricultural practices, water productivity optimization, soil salinity management, and climate resilience strategies for dryland agro-ecosystems.
Python, R, Google Earth Engine for geospatial analytics, Random Forest classification, deep learning for crop mapping, and real-time agricultural decision-support systems.
Assessment and monitoring of soil salinity and desertification using remote sensing techniques, electrical conductivity modeling, and GIS-based risk assessment.
Google Earth Engine for large-scale geospatial analysis, cloud-based processing of satellite time-series data, and big data analytics for water and climate applications.
Integration of satellite data to estimate water productivity, optimal water management strategies, deficit irrigation scheduling, and crop water requirement estimation.
Principal Investigator or Co-PI on more than 25 national and international projects
Principal Investigator
IWMI, CGIAR Scaling for Impact Program
2025Developed a soil salinity map for Egypt to support sustainable agricultural planning in saline-prone areas.
Principal Investigator
Information and Decision Support Center, Egyptian Ministry Council
2025Analyzing climate model data and applying for water consumption for current and future scenarios.
Project Lead
NCVC, KSA
2023–2024Led assessment of drought vulnerability and developed mitigation measures for arid regions.
Principal Investigator
Information and Decision Support Center, Egyptian Ministry Council
2023Analyzing climate and satellite data for agriculture changes and affected areas mapping.
Project Lead
Agriculture Ministry and NARSS
Jan. 2024 – PresentConducting surveys for winter agricultural crops using remote sensing techniques.
Principal Investigator
Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD)
2023Developed a comprehensive soil salinity map for Egypt using advanced remote sensing techniques.
Principal Investigator
NARSS
2023/2024Integrated satellite data to estimate water productivity for optimal water management.
PI - Egyptian Side
European Space Agency (ESA)
Nov. 2022–2024Participated in Earth Observation initiatives for African agricultural development.
Co-Principal Investigator
NARSS
Nov. 2022 – PresentCo-led smart agricultural management project for climate change adaptation using IoT technologies.
Project Lead
Agricultural Export Council
June 2022 – Nov. 2022Developed climatic map for date palm cultivars to support agricultural export planning.
Project Lead
Agriculture Ministry and NARSS
Aug. 2022 – Nov. 2022Conducted surveys for summer agricultural crops using satellite imagery.
Technical Expert
AOAD / ICARDA
2021–2022Assessed water-harvesting scaling-up potential for the NENA Region.
Research Contributor
ICARDA
Jan. 2021 – Feb. 2022Contributed to agronomy excellence initiatives for dryland agriculture.
Researcher
ICARDA
Jan. 2021 – Feb. 2022Researched date palm cultivation and management in GCC countries.
Principal Investigator
NARSS
2020–2022Led satellite data integration for crop monitoring in Northern Coastal Zone.
Principal Investigator
NARSS
2019–2020Led agri-systems management for water and food security in desert environments.
Researcher
NARSS
2018–2019Monitored crops and estimated water productivity in Egyptian Nile Delta.
Researcher
Chinese Academy of Sciences, RADI
2018–2019Participated in CropWatch project for global crop monitoring.
Project Lead
NARSS
2016–2018Managed spatial data for sustainable agricultural development initiatives.
Evapotranspiration Team Lead
World Bank
2012–2017Led evapotranspiration team for comprehensive water resources management.
Researcher
NARSS
2014–2016Researched impacts of Nile water deficiency using remote sensing and GIS.
Principal Investigator
NARSS
2012–2013Developed comprehensive evapotranspiration atlas for Sinai Peninsula.
Co-Principal Investigator
NARSS
2012–2013Co-led on-farm water management using remote sensing techniques.
Researcher
NARSS & China
2007–2010Validated crop leaf area inversion using multi-source remote sensing data.
Researcher
NARSS
2008–2010Modeled yield prediction for cereal crops using remote sensing data.
Author of numerous high-impact scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals
Validation of a Simple MODIS Land Surface Temperature-Based Model for Potential Evapotranspiration (PET) using Long-Term Global Dataset
Journal of Agrometeorology
Water Productivity of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under Various Deficit Irrigation Levels in a Semi-Arid Region of Egypt
Egyptian Journal of Agronomy
Mesoporous biochar reshapes soil water dynamics under shallow groundwater: interactions with nitrogen management
Frontiers in Soil Science, 5, 1718929
Impact of climate classification on evapotranspiration variability in arid regions of Saudi Arabia
Journal of Aridland Agriculture, 11, 121–130
Cloud computing random forest classification for major agricultural crops in the Nile Delta of Egypt
Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration
Machine Learning-Driven Drought Monitoring and Prediction for Arid Regions Using Multi-Source Data for Comprehensive Drought Analysis in KSA During the Period from 2000 to 2050
The 10th International Scientific Forum for Research and Studies, Istanbul, Turkey, May 14-16, 2025
Advances in earth observation and artificial intelligence in monitoring vegetation dynamics of dryland agroecosystems
Vegetation Dynamics and Crop Stress. Academic Press, pp 1–19
Advancements in Remote Sensing for Evapotranspiration Estimation: A Comprehensive Review of Temperature-Based Models
Remote Sensing, 16(11), 1927
Improving the spatial deployment of the soil moisture sensors in smart irrigation systems using GIS
Cogent Food & Agriculture, 10(1)
Enhancing irrigation water management based on ETo prediction using machine learning to mitigate climate change
Cogent Food & Agriculture, 10(1)
Estimating ETO and scheduling crop irrigation using Blaney–Criddle equation when only air-temperature data are available and solving the issue of missing meteorological data in Egypt
BIO Web Conf., 82
Validation of SALTMAD model for simulating soil moisture and faba bean productivity under deficit irrigation and integrated fertilization in the semi-arid regions
A new attempt for modeling erosion risks using remote sensing-based mapping and the index of land susceptibility to wind erosion
Catena, 227, 107130
Monitoring of crop water consumption changing based on remotely sensed data and techniques in North Sinai, Egypt
Journal of Aridland Agriculture, 9, 1–8
Identification and Quantification of Actual Evapotranspiration Using Integrated Satellite Data for Sustainable Water Management in Dry Areas
Agronomy, 12, 2143
Evapotranspiration and Vegetation Cover Classifications Maps Based on Cloud Computing at the Arab Countries Scale
Earth Systems and Environment, 6: 837–849
Smart farming for improving agricultural management
The Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Science, 24(3): 971-981
Evapotranspiration Models: Short Review
Open Access Journal of Agricultural Research. 4–6
Estimation of Crops Water Consumptions Using Remote Sensing with Case Studies from Egypt
Conventional Water Resources and Agriculture in Egypt (book chapter), 1-19, Springer
Monitoring of Water-Level Fluctuation of Lake Nasser Using Altimetry Satellite Data
Earth Systems and Environment, 2:367–375
Active participation in international scientific conferences and forums
Istanbul, Turkey
May 14-16, 2025
Riyadh, KSA
December 2024
Benha University, Egypt
28 Dec. 2023
Cairo, Egypt
October 2023
Hurghada, Egypt
7-10 Dec. 2022
Dubai, UAE
October 10, 2021
Muscat, Oman
Nov 9-11, 2020
Cairo, Egypt
8-10 Dec. 2020
Cairo, Egypt
October 2019
Saniya, China
August 26-28, 2018
Hong Kong, China
Dec 03-05, 2017
Hangzhou, China
May 18-20, 2017
Lyon, France
April 13-14, 2016
Tsu, Mie City, Japan
Nov. 19-21, 2015
Shanghai, China
August 25-27, 2015
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
December 8-9, 2014
University of Johannesburg, South Africa
27-31 October 2014
Shanghai, China
April 16-18, 2014
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt
30-31 December 2012
Alexandria, Egypt
21-25 April 2012
Mentoring the next generation of researchers and educators
Al-Azhar University, Ain Shams University, and Benha University
Al-Azhar University, Ain Shams University, and Benha University
Continuous professional development through specialized training programs
Twenty University
Nov. 2023
National Quality Institute, Egypt
Mar. 4 – Apr. 28, 2023
NASA's Applied Remote Sensing Training Program (ARSET)
September 2022
NASA ARSET
February 2021
Chinese Academy of Sciences, RADI
Sep. 4 - Nov. 4, 2016
CIHEAM-IAMZ, Zaragoza, Spain
Mar. 7-12, 2016
NASA ARSET
Spring webinar 2015
NASA ARSET
Spring webinar 2015
NASA ARSET
Spring webinar 2015
NASA ARSET
Fall webinar 2013
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt
Dec. 30-31, 2012
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Apr. 21-26, 2012
CIHEAM-IAMZ, Zaragoza, Spain
Nov. 21-26, 2011
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Apr. 10-15, 2010
CIHEAM-MAICH, Chania, Greece
Dec. 2009
General Organization for Remote Sensing "GORS", Syria
Nov. 2008
NARSS, Egypt
May 2007
Milan University, Italy
July 2006
Honors and achievements recognizing research excellence
December 2017
Chinese Academy of Sciences
December 2022
1st International Conference of Remote Sensing and Space Sciences Applications (1st ICRSSSA)
September 2023
National Quality Institute, Egypt
Submitted
IoT Agricultural Smart System, No. EG/P/2022/241
I'm always interested in collaborative research opportunities, consulting projects, and academic partnerships
National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS)
Cairo, Egypt