Riyadh, March
Saudi women are making impressive strides in science and innovation, fueled by a strong academic and professional foundation.
Specialized pathways for women students and collaborations with prestigious international institutions further empower them. Their creative and passionate minds contribute to the advancement not only of their nation but of humanity in general, particularly in this age of rapid technological advancements and artificial intelligence.
The Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), whose programs are aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 goals, plays a key role in nurturing the capabilities of Saudi women and meeting the demands of the modern era.
TVTC has helped young women become valuable scientific partners alongside their male counterparts. Its endeavor is further bolstered by equal rights and supportive legislation.
As a result, young Saudi women, often in their early twenties, impress observers with their exceptional intellect. They have competed and achieved remarkable success in international competitions, consistently securing top positions.
In recent years, Saudi women’s consistent presence and contributions at international scientific forums helped establish Saudi Arabia as a force to be reckoned with. The Kingdom is now regularly seen at the forefront of winners’ lists or among top contenders for prestigious awards.
A young Saudi woman who is excelling in science and innovation is Manar Al-Ghanim, a student at the Digital Technical College in Al-Ahsa specialized in programming and web development.
In September 2023, she represented Saudi Arabia at the WorldInvent Singapore, an international exhibition for inventions, innovation and technology, where she won the gold medal and a special award from the National Research Council of Thailand for her invention of a system that designs tourist plans and itineraries based on customers’ preferences and budgets.
The system uses artificial intelligence to collect and analyze data and present the client with a plan for all tourist destinations.
Saudi innovator Malath Al-Dahish emerged as a model for Saudi girls when she participated as a candidate of the Buraidah College of Technology in the Malaysia Technology Expo (MTE) in February 2024 with her invention, the Smart Splint, a three-dimensional system linked to moisture and temperature measurement sensors to protect patients with gangrene. The probes send data to reading devices, including mobile phones.
At the same international event, another talented Saudi girl, Shahd Ajeebi, from the TVTC Women Technical Digital College in Riyadh, was awarded the silver medal for her innovation of AI-Based TerraSight Drone for assessing damages after natural disasters. Equipped with an integrated high-resolution camera, the drone assesses cases of fires, floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes. An AI-based platform classifies the risk, location, date of occurrence, and the nature of damages.
This innovation helps the efforts of civil protection, rescue, weather forecasting, climate, and humanitarian aid teams by providing information that helps them execute their response plans.
Saudi innovator Dana Ibrahim is another name and example that confirms the ability of Saudi women to confidently go far in achieving the impossible, topping lists of innovators from around the world, and inscribing her name in the history of science and innovation with inventions that contribute to improving the quality of life and serving humanity.
As a student at TVTC, Ibrahim represented her country at the WorldInvent Singapore, armed with her specialization in technical support technology, which enabled her to invent an electronic stick, named “magic move”, that helps children with autism draw. It earned her the gold medal and the prize for the best invention from the National Research Council of Thailand.
Another creative and role model among Saudi women is student at the Technical Digital College in Riyadh Dana Al-Sakran, who was awarded the silver medal during the same international exhibition in Singapore for her invention of an air quality measuring device.
Rawan Al-Zain, from Al-Ahsa Technical Digital College, is yet another example that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia teems with innovative women. Al-Zain was awarded the silver medal by experts and judges at MTE for her inventing a method to sort out coffee, replacing the time-consuming and less accurate manual way.
Al-Zain, used AI to detect defective coffee beans, which significantly reduces the time taken to carry out the sorting process and ensures its high accuracy and efficiency.
Young Saudi women have engaged in various experiments in different technology fields. Quality and excellence have consistently characterized their contributions in various international forums, where they represent their country with distinction, keeping pace with the ambitions and aspirations of the wise leadership that has always relied on the capability of the nation’s youth to take the country to higher and better positions.
The Kingdom’s leadership constantly invests in the capabilities of its citizens, providing them with environments that help them unleash their potentials, present their ideas and make them into reality.
— SPA
