Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
5.1 EDUCATION & RESEARCH
The first Arab woman to command a deep-sea submarine
In 2022 , a KAUST Ph . D . Student was proclaimed the
first Arab female to lead an unmanned submarine in deep water , Afrah Alothmam , currently part of the Marine Science program at the Red Sea Research Center , was the only Arab woman working on phase 1 of the OceanX mission , an initiative that aims to explore the ocean and bring it to the public . Alothmam had the opportunity to board OceanXplorer , the most advanced science and media vessel ever built , with a crew of media professionals and researchers tasked to explore unseen parts of the ocean , observe rare deep-sea creatures , and perform scientific work . The student was recognized by The National Center for Wildlife ( NCW ) as an inspiration to other Arab women during the International Day for Women and Girls in Science , a UN-designated day that aims to accelerate and improve access of women and girls to science .
Giving women in STEM an edge on their scientific careers
KAUST has organized a
workshop for Women in Science and Engineering in 2021 , which included talks by renowned scientists and engineers on their personal journey , struggles and life-changing approaches throughout their scientific careers . The event , supported by KAUST ’ s platform Women to Impact ( WTI ), also included informative sessions on preparing CVs , guidelines for successful interviews , and leadership and time management techniques .
Entrepreneurial opportunities to empower Saudi women
With the aim of teaching entrepreneurial thinking and problem solving skills to young Saudi women , KAUST has organized Saudi ’ s first women targetted entrepreneurial program , which ran over 2021 and 2022 . The “
Empowering Saudi Women Through Entrepreneurship ” program , developed in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin ’ s Global Innovation Lab ( GIL ) and the U . S . Consulate General Jeddah , hosted 45 Saudi-based females developing innovative technologies and products with global export and growth potential to help tackle pressing global issues .
Entrepreneurial women will be critical in developing advanced industries to support the creation and growth of new ventures in Saudi Arabia . By supporting this important demographic , KAUST is supporting two vital pillars of Vision 2030 – to spur growth and diversification in the economy , and encourage young women ’ s ambitions .
Entrepreneurial Bootcamp Empowers Saudi Women
14 | KAUST SDG HIGHLIGHT REPORT