Wagieh El-Saadawi is Professor Emeritus of Botany at Ain Shams University, Cairo. Trained initially in palaeobotany, he has also played a major role in the development of bryology in Egypt and the wider Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions.
His research has contributed substantially to the knowledge of the bryophyte floras of Egypt, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Libya, including more than 170 new bryophyte records. A member of the OPTIMA Commission on Bryophytes, he has contributed to major floristic and checklist projects on Mediterranean bryophytes.
Pr. El-Saadawi has also been instrumental in developing bryology in Egypt through the establishment of the bryophyte herbarium at Ain Shams University (CAIA) and the supervision of more than 20 M.Sc. and Ph.D. students. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to bryodiversity research and education, he received the IAB Grolle Award in 2017.
