Winners of Study UK Alumni Awards honored in Riyadh

The winners of the Study UK Alumni Awards 2021-22 in Saudi Arabia were honored at a ceremony, hosted by the British Ambassador Neil Crompton here on Wednesday.

Saudi alumni of UK universities from Jeddah, Dammam, Jubail, Al-Khobar and Majmaa were recognized for their outstanding achievements as business professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders, and for their contribution to strengthening ties between the UK and Saudi Arabia.

The ceremony was organized by the British Embassy and British Council in Riyadh and attended by senior representatives representing government and UK alumni. Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Crompton said that he was delighted to host this year’s Study UK Alumni Award ceremony. “We are immensely proud of our alumni, who have built on their education to become leaders in different fields and champions of social change, in turn enriching the lives of those around them. The UK and Saudi Arabia share a strong and modern partnership, and we consider the alumni of British universities to be ambassadors for both countries and are a testament to our strong people-to-people links,” he said and congratulated all winners and finalists.

 

Eilidh Kennedy McLean, country director at the British Council in Saudi Arabia, said: “The remarkable individuals we celebrated today have all taken their UK education as a starting point to excel in their chosen careers and shape the world around them. This year’s awards ceremony is testimony not only to the diversity of UK alumni and their endeavors, but also to the transformative impact of a UK education, with over 100,000 UK graduates, there’s a lot to celebrate with.”

The Award judging panel, selected recipients for the four award categories: Science and Sustainability Award, Culture and Creativity Award, Social Action Award, and Business and Innovation Award. This prestigious international award celebrates UK higher education and the achievements of UK alumni all over the world. Now in its eighth year, the award received more than 1,500 applications from international UK alumni in more than 100 countries, representing over140 UK higher education institutions across the UK.

The Science and Sustainability Award was presented to Dr. Maha Al-Mozaini, a scientist who gained extensive experience in both immunology and infectious disease clinical research during her PhD program at Imperial College. She is the founder and director of "Immunocompromised Host Research." The Culture and Creativity Award was given away to Dr. Faisal Al-Homoud, an associate professor at Majmaa University, who has held many academic and administrative positions at different universities. Faisal has benefited from a great deal of teaching and research excellence at UK universities.

The Social Action award was presented to Monira Al-Subaie, a faculty member in the college of Law at King Saud University who participated in the legislative development and human rights promotion in Saudi Arabia through her membership in the committee drafting the personal status bill. She participated in drafting the Elderly Rights Law through her membership in the elderly committee in Family Affairs Council. Ahmed Al-Harbi, founder of the first local start-up specializing in niche petroleum services, was honored with the Business and Innovation award. Al-Harbi started his successful entrepreneurship journey with a wealth of experience gained earlier in his career where he held key managerial and technical positions with major companies.