Ahd Kamel
Meet some of Saudi Arabia’s innovative, most inspiring minds who are at the forefront of change.
1. Abeer Bint Hassan Al Obaidi
Al Obaidi is the first Saudi woman to graduate with an SJD degree (a Doctor of Juridical Science, which is a PhD in Legal Sciences). This degree program is a highly specialized research doctorate in law designed for those seeking to pursue careers as teachers and scholars of law. A scholarship student, Al Obaidi received her SJD from Emory Law, one of the most prestigious universities in the United States and the world.
2. Sara Alrabiah
A student in Riyadh Educational Directorate, Alrabiah won the 2017 NASA’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) award, for her project on improving “resistive RAMs’ performance by using single crystal Perovskites.” She came in 4th among 1,800 participants from 75 countries. ISEF is the world's largest pre-university science competition, with over 20 categories including Animal Sciences, Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy, and Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, amongst others. It hosts around 1,700 participants each year from more than 60 countries around the world.
3. Shatha Abu Ouf
Abu Ouf made headlines in the UK and across the world for successfully redesigning governmental obesity treatment programs for both adults and children, under the British Ministry of Health. The first Saudi woman to join the British Committee for Family and Children Health Programs, she is one of 22 members who represent a group of specialists, doctors, and researchers in clinical and infectious health studies.
British medical and scientific mediums implemented the program in 39 government medical facilities and 13 Scottish districts, and catered to 74,000 children who suffer from obesity and its complications. Studies have shown that the program proved viable in controlling rising obesity rates in children, and it has slowed down the rate of its spread by 8.28 percent.
4. Bashayer Al Khayyat
In May 2017, Al-Khayyat, a student in Dar Al-Hikma Univeristy, created an abaya for jogging and running, as well as a specialized application. The app allows users to locate ideal walking locations in Jeddah, and to also find people nearby who wish to run. Al Khayyat’s project aims to nurture a culture of walking in the city, by making this inexpensive exercise regime accessible to all.
5. Ahd Kamel
In August 2017, this successful 36-year-old Saudi actress and filmmaker from Jeddah ventured deeper into the international arts scene by starring in Collateral, a drama miniseries co-produced by BBC Two and Netflix. Kamel is the first Saudi to get a directing degree from the United States (from New York Film Academy). Over the years, she has been making a name for herself in both the regional and international scenes, through her various works such as: Sanctity (her first short, which premiered in the 2013 Berlinale); The Shoemaker (her award-winning and first feature length film); Razan (for which she won the ‘Best Actress Award’ at San Francisco’s International Film Festival); and Wadjda (a critically acclaimed Saudi film, in which she played a teacher).
