• Genesis, morphology properties, sedimentology of soils in the arid vadose zone and applications relevant to hydropedology.
• Using engineered soils to improve irrigation water use efficiency and plant growth under harsh soil conditions.
• Characterization and anthropogenic activities of urban soils.
• Morphology of wet arid soils under water level rise.
• Management of salt affected soils.
• Pedagogical practices and innovative techniques for teaching soil sciences.

Introduction to Soil & Water

Soil Genesis and Classification

Hydropedology for Soil-Water Landscape Interactions

Soil and Water Conservation

https://www.squ.edu.om/Portals/10/CV%20Said%20Al-Ismaily.pdf

1. Al-Mayahi, A. K., Al-Ismaily, S. S., Breitenstein, D., Al-Busaidi, H. S., Al-Maktoumi, A. K., Lehmann, P., ... & Al-Shukaili, A. H. (2023). Soil water distribution and dynamics across prescribed capillary barriers under evaporating surfaces. Biosystems Engineering, 226, 55-70.
2. Al-Rabaiai, A., Menezes-Blackburn, D., Al-Ismaily, S., Janke, R., Pracejus, B., Al-Alawi, A., ... & Bol, R. (2022). Customized biochar for soil applications in arid land: Effect of feedstock type and pyrolysis temperature on soil microbial enumeration and respiration. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 168, 105693.
3. Al-Maktoumi, A., Kacimov, A., Al-Busaidi, H., Al-Mayahi, A., Al-Ismaily, S., Al-Khanbashi, S., & Al-Battashi, M. (2022). A hydroecological technique to improve infiltration of clogged bed of recharge dam in Oman. Desalination and Water Treatment, 263, 188-196.
4. Al-Battashi, M., Al-Maktoumi, A., Kacimov, A., Al-Mayahi, A., Al-Shukaili, A., Al-Ismaily, S., & Al-Belushi, M. (2022). Shallow Water Table in Arid Urban Zone: Preliminary Study at Sultan Qaboos University Campus, Oma. Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, 27(1), 62-76.
5. Said Al-Ismaily, Ahmed Al-Mayhai, Hamad Al-Busaidi, Anvar Kacimov, Daniel Blackburn, Ali Al-Maktoumi, Buthain Al-Siyabi. 2021. Soil skills challenge: A problem-based field competition towards active learning for BSc. Geoscience students. Geoderma, Volume 385, 114903. doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2020.114903
6. Kacimov, A., Al-Maktoumi, A., Al-Ismaily, S. Ahmed Al-Mayahi, Afrah Al-Shukaili, Yurii Obnosov & Osman Abdalla. (2021) Water table rise in arid urban area soils due to evaporation impedance and its mitigation by intelligently designed capillary chimney siphons. Environ Earth Sci 80, 611 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-021-09857-3
7. Marwah Al-Battashi, Ali Al-Maktoumi, Anvar Kacimov, Ahmed Al-Mayahi, Afrah Al-Shukaili, Said Al-Ismaily, Mohamed Al-Belushi. 2022. Shallow Water Table in Arid Urban Zone: Preliminary Study at Sultan Qaboos University Campus, Oman. Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences 2022, 27(1): 41–49. DOI: 10.24200/jams. vol27iss1pp41-49
8. Al‐Maktoumi, A., Kacimov, A., Al‐Busaidi, H., Al‐Ismaily, S., Al‐Mayahi, A., Al‐Khanbashi, S., & Al‐Sulaimi, A. (2020). Enhancement of infiltration rate of clogged porous beds in the vicinity of dams in arid zones by the roots of indigenous Ziziphus spina‐christ trees. Hydrological Processes, 34(22), 4226-4238.
9. Al-Mayahi, A., Al-Ismaily, S., Al-Maktoumi, A., Al-Busaidi, H., Kacimov, A., Janke, R., ... & Šimůnek, J. (2020). A smart capillary barrier-wick irrigation system for home gardens in arid zones. Irrigation Science, 38(3).
10. Al-Mazroui, M.S., Al-Yahyai, R.A., Al-Ismaily, S., A., Kacimov, A.R., and Al-Busaidi, H. (2020). Use of soil structured capillary barrier can mitigate the impact of saline irrigation water on marigold grown under field condition. J. of Agricultural and Marine Sciences (SQU), 19(1), 24 – 29.
11. Al-Mazroui, M., Al-Yahyai, R., Al-Ismaily, S., and Kacimov, A. (2020). Evaluation of potting media for marigold under salinity stress condition. J. of Applied Horticulture (Society for Advancement of Horticulture), 22(1)
12. Shaharoona, B., Al-Ismaily, S., Al-Mayahi, A., Al-Harrasi, N., Al-Kindi, R., Al-Sulaimi, A., Al-Busaidi, H. and Al-Abri, M., (2019). The role of urbanization in soil and groundwater contamination by heavy metals and pathogenic bacteria: A case study from Oman. Heliyon, 5(5), p.e01771.
13. Al-Mayahi A, S Al-Ismaily, T Gibreel, A Kacimov, A Al-Maktoumi (2019) Home gardening in Muscat, Oman: Gardeners’ practices, perceptions and motivations. Urban forestry & urban greening 38, 286-294
14. Anvar Kacimov, Ali Al-Maktoumi, Said Al-Ismaily, Hamed Al-Busaidi. 2017. Moisture and temperature in a Proppant-enveloped silt block of a recharge dam reservoir: Laboratory experiment and 1-D mathematical modelling. Journal of Agricultural and marine Sciences, Volume 22 (1): 8-17
15. Al-Ismaily, S., Al-Maktoumi, A., Kacimov, A., Al-Saqri, S., and Al-Busaidi, H. (2015). Impact of a recharge dam on the hydropedology of arid zone soils in Oman: Anthropogenic formation factor. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 20(4), 04014053-1- 04014053-12.

DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0000886.

1. Said S. Al-Ismaily, Anvar R. Kacimov, Ali K. Al-Maktoumi, and Hamad A. Al-Busaidi (2018) Progressing from direct instruction to structured and open inquiry based teaching in a bachelor of soil sciences program: Experience at the National University in Oman. JOURNAL OF GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2018.1509571.
2. Ali Al-Maktoumi, Said Al-Ismaily, Anvar Kacimov. (2016) Research based learning for undergraduate students in soil and water sciences: a case study of Hydropedology in an arid-zone environment. Journal of geography in Higher Education, 40 (3): pp 321-339. DOI:10.1080/03098265.2016.1140130
3. Suzanne Faber, Ali Al-Maktoumi, Anvar Kacimov, Hamed Al-Busaidi, Said Al-Ismaily, Mohamed Al-Belushi. (2015). Migration and deposition of fine particles in a porous filter and alluvial deposit: laboratory experiments, Arabian Journal of Geosciences, Springer, 9 (4): DOI: 10.1007/s12517-016-2309-x
4. Ali Al-Maktoumi, Anvar Kacimov, Said Al-Ismaily, Hamed Al-Busaidi, Said Al-Saqri. (2015) Infiltration into two-layered soil: the Green-Ampt and Averyanov models revisited. Transport in Porous Media, 109:169–193. DOI:10.1007/s11242-015-0507-8
5. Said Al-Saqri, Ali Al-Maktoumi, Said Al-Ismaily, Anvar Kacimov, and Hamad Al-Busaidi. Hydropedology and soil evolution in explaining the hydrological properties of recharge dams in arid zone environments. Arabian Journal of Geosciences DOI:10.1007/s12517-015-2076-0
6. Al-Maktoumi, A., Al-Ismaily, S., Kacimov, A., Al-Busaidi, H., Al-Saqri, S., and Al-Hadabi, M. (2014). Soil substrate as a cascade of capillary barriers for conserving water in a desert environment: lessons learned from arid nature. Journal of Arid Land, 6(6), 690-703. DOI: 10.1007/s40333-014-0068-7
7. Al-Ismaily, S. S., Al-Maktoumi, A. K., Kacimov, A. R., Al-Saqri, S. M., Al-Busaidi, H. A., and Al-Haddabi, M. H. (2013). Morphed block-crack preferential sedimentation in a reservoir bed: a smart design and evolution in nature. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58(8), 1779-1788. DOI: 10.1080/02626667.2013.838002
8. Al-Hashmi, Z., and Al-Ismaily, S. S. (2013). Environmental soil microbiology: A novel research-oriented laboratory course for undergraduate students. Atlas Journal of Science Education, 2(2):77-83 DOI 10.5147/ajse.2013.0101
9. Said S. Al-Ismaily* and Ali K. Al-Maktoumi. 2011. Studying soil catena in arid-zone environment: Case study for soil science students. Atlas Journal of Science Education, 1(2):24-28. DOI: 10.5147/ajse.2011.0031
10. Kacimov A.R., Al-Ismaily, S., and Al-Maktoumi. 2010. The Green-Ampt 1-D infiltration from a ponded surface into a heterogeneous soil. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage, ASCE. 136(1):68-72. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE) IR.1943-4774.0000121
11. Al-Ismaily S. and J. L. Walworth. 2008. Effects of osmotic and matric potentials on nitrogen mineralization in unamended and manure-amended soils. Soil Science, 173(3):203-213. DOI: 10.1097/SS.0b013e31815edf83.

Soil Science Society of America (2002 – Present)

American Society of Agronomy (2012 – Present)

Crop Science Society of America (2012 – Present)

European Geoscience Union (2015 – Present)