Abdul Karim Al Khalifa

Bahraini astronomer who discovered exoplanets while working as a telecom engineer

Abdul Karim Al Khalifa (b. 1985) is a self-taught astronomer from Bahrain who discovered six exoplanets while working full-time as a telecom engineer. Working nights in his backyard observatory, he developed algorithms to analyze data from NASA's Kepler mission. His discoveries include the super-Earth Kepler-78b and the gas giant K2-141b, which expanded our understanding of planetary formation.

Despite lacking formal academic credentials, his research was published in prestigious journals like Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. His story inspired the 2021 documentary 《The Night Watcher》. In 2018 he became the first Arab scientist to receive the Newton Lakan Prize from the Royal Society.

Al Khalifa now runs the Bahrain Astronomy Society, promoting STEM education in the Gulf region. His crowdfunded observatory in Manama serves as a training center for young astronomers from across the Middle East, proving that groundbreaking science can thrive outside traditional academic institutions.