Shahad Alrifai

Artificial Intelligence Specialization · Cohort 2026

Optimization of Data Center Siting in Saudi Arabia for Future Energy Mix Planning

Efficient planning is necessary to ensure sustainable energy utilization with the rapid expansion of data centers and the increasing need for a reliable digital infrastructure. This project is intended to optimize the siting of data centers in Saudi Arabia by evaluating suitable locations and evaluating potential energy mix scenarios using the PLEXOS modeling platform. In the first phase of the project, a first PLEXOS model skeleton was developed and the data sets required were collected and organized, including electricity demand, power generation technologies, renewable energy resources and energy mix data. These early results lay the groundwork for future model implementation, scenario analysis and optimization. The project is expected to support informed decisions for the sustainable deployment of data centers aligned with Saudi Vision 2030.

Read the final report (PDF)

Energy Transition Specialization · Cohort 2025

Chiral-Induced Spin Selectivity Film on a Superconducting Surface

Chiral organic molecules adsorbed on top of a superconductor. These chiral molecules have been proposed to convert a spin-zero Cooper pair to a spin-one Cooper pair thereby allowing spintronics to be integrated with superconductivity. The project will involve understanding how the CISS effect works in the normal state without superconductivity. Once this understanding is developed, the project will explore how Cooper pairs with zero net spin can convert to spin-polarised Cooper pairs on passing through these molecules. Here, we will also handle some data from real experiments that was performed in Imperial labs recently.

Mentor: Nilai Banerjee

Read the final report (PDF)

See it in the program report (PDF)