Arwa Al-Harbi

Saudi Arabian engineer who pioneered renewable energy solutions in the Middle East

Dr. Arwa Al-Harbi (b. 1978) is a Saudi Arabian electrical engineer whose innovations in solar energy technology have revolutionized renewable energy adoption in the Middle East. As the first female engineer to lead a national energy project in Saudi Arabia, she designed the award-winning SAFER Grid system deployed in 2012, which increased solar energy efficiency by 37% in desert climates. Her work has been instrumental in the Kingdom's Vision 2030 energy diversification plan.

Al-Harbi's 2008 creation of the Desert Solar Array technology addressed unique challenges of high temperatures and sand accumulation, earning her the MIT Technology Review's Innovators Under 35 award in 2010. She co-founded the Women in Energy Network in 2015, which has trained over 2,000 female engineers across the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Her 2018 research on photovoltaic cooling systems became the basis for new industry standards.

Despite facing cultural resistance, she established the first female-led engineering firm in Riyadh in 2013, Al-Harbi Technologies, which now operates 17 solar farms in six countries. Her 2020 documentary Sunrise Over Arabia chronicles her journey and has been used in UN climate negotiations. Al-Harbi currently chairs the Middle East chapter of the International Solar Energy Society, advocating for 40% renewable energy targets by 2030.