I’m Salah Abdeljabar, a PhD candidate in Wireless Communications and Networking at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). I work at the intersection of wireless communications, IoT, and network optimization, with hands-on deployments and collaborations bridging academic research and real-world impact.
Education
Experience
Projects
LoRaWAN Gateway Mesh: Experimental Evaluation and Protocol Analysis
Hands-on evaluation of the RAK and ChirpStack LoRaWAN Gateway Mesh protocol, focusing on real hardware testing, system design, and performance limitations
Super-LoRa: Making Long-Range IoT Faster and Smarter
Super-LoRa is a novel design that multiplies data rates for long-range IoT while staying low-power and practical, validated on real software-defined radios and campus-wide experiments
TV White Space IoT Deployment with Microsoft Research
Joint KAUST–Microsoft Research field deployment of TV White Space IoT radios, demonstrating long-range, low-power connectivity for real-world sensing applications
Research Highlights
- Designed and implemented a practical and energy-efficient off-grid wireless network based on LoRa Mesh.
- Designed and implemented Super-LoRa, a practical technique to increase LoRa throughput via payload superposition.
- Conducted LoRa transmission experiments over TV White Spaces in collaboration with Microsoft Research.
- Developed a Delay-Tolerant Networking digital learning platform deployed for rural connectivity use cases.
- Contributed to the design and deployment of hybrid Free-Space Optical (FSO) / Microwave (MW) links to connect remote areas and islands.
- Investigated and optimized RIS-assisted VLC systems to improve data rates and fairness in mobile scenarios (indoor and outdoor setups).
Publications
See the Publications page for full details.
Teaching & Mentoring
Served as Teaching Assistant for graduate-level courses including Stochastic Processes, Numerical Optimization, Applied Mathematics, Mathematical Foundations of Machine Learning, and Linear Algebra. Lead TA and local organizer for TinyML Engineering for IoT Workshop (Jan 2025 & Jan 2024). Lead Instructor for High School AI Program (Summer 2025). Mentored 10+ students on research projects ranging from DTN-based educational platforms to LoRa mesh networking protocols. See the Teaching page for comprehensive details.
Awards & Recognition
- Saudi Aramco Digital Hackathon Winner (Jan 2026)
- 6G Summit “Imagining Tomorrow” Video Competition Winner (Nov 2025)
- Falling Walls Lab KAUST Finalist (Sep 2025)
- KAUST CEMSE Dean’s List Award for Exceptional Academic Achievements (2025)
- IEEE ICC 4-Minute Thesis (4MT) Competition Winner (Jun 2025)
- ICTP–Arab Fund PhD Fellowship (Sep 2024 – Dec 2026)
- IEEE SusTech 2023 Student Poster Contest Winner (Apr 2023)
- KAUST Fellowship (Aug 2021 – Present)
Service & Outreach
- Journal Reviewer: IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications
- Conference Reviewer: IEEE PIMRC, IEEE WCNC
- Community Engagement: KAUST Winter Enrichment Program Volunteer, Co-founder IEEE Power and Energy Society