The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest Arab state in western Asia. It was founded by Abdul Aziz bin Saud in 1932 and since then, it is ruled as an Absolute Monarchy. It is the birth place of Islam and the location of the two holiest mosques in world, Al Masjid al Haram in Mecca, and Al Masjid al- Nabawi in Medina, which are visited by millions of Muslims from over the world during the Hadj.  These holy places impart a unique culture to these cities, and unless seen in its unique perspective, the complexity of this culture can not be understood clearly. For example Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive but affordability is the least of the constraints for the Saudi women.

Top 10 Famous Saudi Women:

1. Princess Amira al-Taweel

Princess Ameera bint Aidan bin Nayef Al-Taweel, better known as Princess Amira al-Taweel, was born on November 6, 1983 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She is the Chairperson of Al-Waleed bin Talal Foundation and a member of the Board of Trustees at Sialtech. She is a famous philanthropist and is particularly known for supporting  programs relating to disaster relief, poverty, and interfaith dialogue. Along with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Amira has inaugurated Prince Alwaleed bin Talal center of Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge. Her philosophy, regarding the empowerment of the Saudi women is ‘Evolution, not Revolution’. She has expressed her views openly at important international forums. She has spoken at CNN, NBC Today, and exchanged her views with U.S. President Clinton at the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative, Voices for Change in the Middle East and North Africa.

2. Dr. Selwa Al-Hazzaa

Dr. Selwa Al-Hazzaa is one of the most influential Saudi women. Her academic and professional success is an inspiration not only to Saudi women, but also to women throughout the entire Arab world. She received her education at King Saud University and John Hopkins University. She is best known for her work on genetically inherited eye diseases in Saudi Arabia. Her relevant work , DUANES was published in 1997.She is head of the ophthalmology department at King Faisal Specialist Hospital. On January 11, 2013, by the Royal decree, she became the first female member of the Saudi Arabia Shoura Council and was pronounced as the most prominent personality of the year by Marques Publication board.

3. Wajeha al-Huwaider

Wajeha al-Huwaider was born in 1962. She is a well known Saudi activist and co founder of The Association for the Protection and Defense of Women’s Rights in Saudi Arabia. She is also a renowned journalist and had been writing for daily newspapers, Al-Watan and Arab News. She was arrested on September 20,200 for organizing a protest on women’s rights and was banned from traveling abroad. She stated that ‘Saudi women are weak, no matter how high their status, even the ‘pampered’ ones among them, because they have no law to protect them from attack by anyone. The oppression of women and the effacement of their selfhood is a flaw affecting most homes in Saudi Arabia.”

4. Hind Mohammed

Hind Mohammed was born in 1981 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She is Saudi Arabia’s first and most famous actress. She starred in Rotana’s comedy drama film Keif al-Hal? Rotana is one of the fastest growing media ventures in Middle East. The film was financed by the Saudi Billionaire Prince Walid bin Talal, who said ‘I am correcting a big mistake that is all. I want to tell Arab youth: You deserve to be entertained, you have the right to watch movies, you have the right to listen to music.” Ayman Halawani remarked about her on BBC that ‘Hind was brave in taking on the role of Dunya. She’s shown that a Saudi actress can both be attractive and dignified.’

5. Machael el-Shamemre

Machael el-Shamemre graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne,AU,  receiving a  degree in astronomical engineering. She is the first Saudi woman to join NASA in America. Her project was to develop a precise weather satellite. She is very confident and ambitious, and is an inspiration to Saudi women. Having joined NASA, she stated, ‘I will do my best in order to show the world that the Saudi Arabian woman is capable of doing a great job in different fields of work for her strong will and her ambition, I want the girls of my country to know that nothing can stand in front of their success as long as they want to prove themselves within their traditions and their religion.”

6. Dr.Howaiyda Al-Qethami

Dr.Howaiyda Al-Qethami attended the Faculty of Medicine at King Abdul Aziz University of Jeddah from 1977 to 1983. She received her primary fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons in Glasgow, Scotland and earned her F.R.C.S. from the Royal College of surgeons in Edinburg. She is a staff surgeon at in the Armed Forces Hospital of Riyadh. She has performed over 3,000 cardiac procedures successfully. She is best known for her expertise regarding correction of congenital defects, open heart surgery, opening of blocked arteries known as a ‘valvotomy’, and treatment of  congenital heart defects in the fetal stage. She commented upon her discipline of choice saying ‘I elected to pursue work as a cardiac surgeon for children and neonates despite the intricacy and difficulty of such a specialty,”

7. Lubna Olayan

Lubna Olayan was born to Suliman Olayan and Maryam bint Jassim Al Abdulwahab on August 4, 1955. She was enlisted by Time magazine as one of the top 100 most influential people of 2005. She is also continuously on Forbes’ list of most powerful women. She is the first woman in the history of Saudi Arabia to deliver a keynote address at a major event like the conference at the Jeddah Economic Forum. She is the Chief Executive Officer of the Olayan Financing Company. Along with her brother Khaled and sisters, Hayat and Hutham. She also sits on board of the Olyan’s Group which is a private multinational enterprise, founded by her father, Sulaiman S. Olayan in 1947. The group operates more than forty companies and is one of the major investors in Saudi and regional Stock Markets. Lubna Olayan is known for her active participation in many philanthropic projects.

8. Lama Al Sulaiman

Lama Al Sulaiman is the daughter of Abdulaziz Al Suleiman. She studied biochemistry at King Abdul Aziz University and earned her doctorate in nutrition from King’s College, London. In December 2009, she was elected as deputy chairwoman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She is the first Saudi woman to have been elected to a position of such critical importance. She is aware of the complexities involved in her high profile position and commented, ‘You have to proceed carefully. You have to respect others’¦with King Abdullah, we are changing so that women can have far more opportunities’. She is also a board member of Rolaco Trading and Contracting, The National Institute of Health services and the Economic and Social Circle of the Mecca Region.

9. Nahed Taher

Nahed Taher graduated from King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah earning her bachelors degree in Economics. She earned her Masters degree in Financial Economics and Ph.D in Monetary Economics from the University of Lancaster in UK. She is the only Saudi woman to head a bank of a stature like the Gulf One investment Bank. Regarding the empowerment of Saudi women, she commented. ‘Women should work harder to make their economy better, especially now when you have high unemployment and high poverty in such a rich country’¦They should be part of the solution. If you ask some women if they want to work, you’d be surprised. They don’t want to. Men need to open doors, but things have to start from the woman herself.’

10. Muna AbuSulayman

Muna AbuSulayman was born on May 16, 1973 in Philadelphia, USA. She is a Saudi Arabian national and is the Executive Director of Alwaleed bin Talal Foundation. She is also a trusted advisor to HRH Prince Alwaleed.The World Economic Foundation enlisted her as a ‘Youth Leader’. She is also known for hosting the popular TV show Kalam Nawaem from 2002 to 2007.

Conclusion:

Although it is widely portrayed that the women of Saudi Arabia are isolated and deprived of freedom, nothing could be further from the truth. Although liberation and development may be moving slower that does in the the western world, things are changing  naturally and organically,  and do not require meddling and coercion by any government or people in order to promote change. Saudi women prove that with ambition and education, they can make a difference in their country and abroad.