Women have been breaking boundaries in the Middle East. As victories keep on piling up, Saudi Arabia wins some more. These days, everything seems to happen so fast, including the rise of amazing Saudi women in ranks and their accomplishments in many fields! From healthcare, science, sports, technology, and business. We brought you 10 Saudi Arabian women that excelled in being role models in the last 10 years.
Al Maha Al-Dossary
A culinary student in London, Al Maha is changing the culinary world in the Kingdom. She’s known for is creating a mix between Saudi Arabian food and veganism! She’s nicknamed ‘The Bedouin Vegan’ on social media because of her work in Saudi Arabia as a chef who promotes the vegan lifestyle. Her imprint on Saudi culture is surely going to last!
Samar Al-Hamoud
Samar sits comfortably on the first Middle Eastern Chair of the World Health Organization’s Cancer Research Committee! And that put her on the map! As a part of the Cancer Research Arbitration Committee, she isn’t only the first woman or first Saudi, she’s the first Middle Eastern president in that position! Her influence is huge in the health sector, as she’s also a co-author to many WHO regional publications in the field of Cancer and prevention.
Lubna Olayan
Lubna is considered one of Saudi Arabia’s most powerful women. She is the CEO of Olayan Financing Company, where she hired 400 women, paving the way for Saudi women to work in important positions and sectors. In the last 7 years, she’s been the first chairwoman of a publicly listed local bank and the deputy chairperson. Her success goes way back and she’s been mentioned as an inspiring example that just won’t quit.
Noha Al-Yousef
Noha was actually the youngest Saudi CEO of a group of companies in Saudi Arabia. She got appointed during her final year of studies! Talk about success. That only pushed her forward, as she went on to have her own company, the Consultation Ithraa group. Five years ago Noha won first place in Stevie Awards for business, making her the first Saudi Arabian woman to ever win!
Dina Al-Tayeb
Dina Al-Tayeb is an athlete and has completed over 100 triathlons. Last year, however, she became the first Arab woman to qualify for The Ironman World Championship, and the first Saudi Arabian woman to complete the Ironman Triathlon. Matter of fact, she had to complete 15 international races just to qualify. That’s a great accomplishment that highlights her work, especially because she actually started training on her own before she even had a coach!
Mishaal Ashemimry
Mishaal is the first female aerospace engineer in the Gulf Cooperation Council. Having had a fascination for space since her childhood, she worked on it, only to become the first Saudi Arabian woman to join NASA! She went on to start her own company, MISHAAL Aerospace, of which she is the CEO. In 2015, she won the Inspirational Woman Award of the Year award in the Arab Woman Awards.
Khawla Al-Kuraya
Khawla is the first woman to receive the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud. As a professor of pathology and the director at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Khawla inspired females to take charge and follow their dreams. She dedicates her life to cancer research and finding a cure. Currently, her goal is to lead Saudi women in becoming leaders and influentials in the name of Saudi Vision 2030.
Khulood Al-Abbasi
This girl right here is an inventor. At the age of 14, she designed a pollution-free scooter. The scooter produces oxygen and has an eco-friendly, rechargeable battery. For that scooter, she won a prize from the World Intellectual Property Organization of Switzerland! That’s not just it, she also has 5 gold medals and 5 special prizes to her name. Saudi women seem to start young.
Aseel Al-Hamad
Aseel is the first woman to be appointed as the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation. She has quickly climbed her way up to be a beacon for female motorists in Saudi Arabia. She’s one of the few women who’ve shown the Kingdom that driving is for women. Additionally, she is the founder of IDegree Design, which is an integrated interior design agency.
Hala Al-Hamrani
Al-Hamrani is a boxer. She’s also a certified boxing trainer who trains women in self-defence, boxing, and martial arts., As a proud gym owner called Fight Like a Girl Boxing (FLAG Boxing), Hala is also a black belt in Jujutsu owner. Her gym trains more than 120 women in different kinds of sports and hopes to open doors for all women who are interested in sports and especially boxing.
This list could have been a hundred names long, but we can only fit so much!