Innovative Research Award
Wael Alnahari — King AbdulAziz University, Saudi Arabia
Wael Alnahari is a Saudi computer and information systems researcher and PhD candidate at King AbdulAziz University whose scholarly work addresses federated databases, Internet of Things (IoT) security, and data management in smart-city environments. His research is indexed in Scopus [1]. This page summarizes his research profile in the context of the Innovative Research Award presented at the International Database Scientist Awards [5].
Abstract
This article presents an academic overview of Wael Alnahari, a researcher affiliated with King AbdulAziz University, Saudi Arabia. His work spans federated database systems, sovereignty-aware business intelligence, large language model evaluation for text-to-SQL tasks, and security and privacy in IoT and smart-city infrastructures. Bibliometric data from Scopus indicate four indexed documents, 34 citations, and an h-index of 3 [1]. The article reviews his research profile, principal contributions, selected publications, and relevance to the Innovative Research Award.
Keywords
Federated databases; business intelligence; text-to-SQL; large language models; Internet of Things security; device authentication; privacy; smart cities; cybersecurity; business continuity.
Introduction
Federated databases enable autonomous data sources to be queried without full centralization, which suits settings with strict governance and security constraints. Wael Alnahari, a PhD candidate at King AbdulAziz University with a cybersecurity master’s degree, combines database research with extensive professional cybersecurity leadership experience. His work is indexed in Scopus.[1].
Research Profile
Wael Alnahari’s research has progressed from IoT security, covering authentication, sensor-level requirements, and privacy risks [2][3][4], toward federated data architectures and language-model database querying. His background in business continuity and security risk management shapes the applied focus of his scholarship.
Research Contributions
Wael Alnahari’s contributions span IoT authentication using security keys [2], sensor security requirements [3], and smart-city privacy risks [4]. His recent work evaluates large language models for text-to-SQL generation [5] and proposes sovereignty-aware risk assessment infrastructure for federated business intelligence, known as SARAI [1].
Publications
Wael Alnahari’s Scopus-listed publications include conference papers on IoT device and server authentication using security keys [2], IoT sensor security requirements [3], and privacy concerns in smart cities [4], alongside an IEEE Access study on complexity-tiered text-to-SQL performance of large language models in smart-city decision support [5].
Research Impact
According to Scopus, Alnahari has four indexed documents, 34 citations, and an h-index of 3 [1]. For a researcher at an early stage of doctoral study, these indicators suggest that his earlier IoT security publications have been used by other scholars, while his recent database-focused work is still developing its readership. Bibliometric figures vary over time and across databases, and should be interpreted alongside the substance of the work.
Award Suitability
The International Database Scientist Awards recognize contributions to database science and related fields [5]. Alnahari’s nomination for the Innovative Research Award reflects his focus on federated databases, the link between data governance and cybersecurity, language-model-based query generation, and peer-reviewed publications. His practical experience in risk management and business continuity strengthens the applied relevance of his work.
Conclusion
Wael Alnahari is an emerging researcher whose work connects federated database systems, IoT security, and language-model-based data access. His Scopus-indexed publications, citation record, and interdisciplinary background provide a reasonable basis for consideration under the Innovative Research Award [1]. Continued doctoral research is expected to extend his contributions in sovereignty-aware and secure data infrastructures.
External Links
References
- Elsevier. (n.d.). Scopus author details: Wael Alnahari, Author ID 57223959943. Scopus. https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57223959943
- Alnahari, W., & Quasim, M. T. (2021). Authentication of IoT device and IoT server using security key. In 2021 International Congress of Advanced Technology and Engineering (ICOTEN) (pp. 1–9). https://doi.org/10.1109/ICOTEN52080.2021.9493492
- Alqarni, H., Alnahari, W., & Quasim, M. T. (2021). Internet of things (IoT) security requirements: Issues related to sensors. In 2021 National Computing Colleges Conference (NCCC) (pp. 1–6). https://doi.org/10.1109/NCCC49330.2021.9428857
- Alnahari, W., & Quasim, M. T. (2021). Privacy concerns, IoT devices and attacks in smart cities. In 2021 International Congress of Advanced Technology and Engineering (ICOTEN) (pp. 1–5). https://doi.org/10.1109/ICOTEN52080.2021.9493559
- Alnahari, W., Hasanin, T., & Jambi, S. (n.d.). Complexity-tiered text-to-SQL performance of large language models in smart-city decision support. IEEE Access. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3728618