Lina Alkhayat

Pioneered online education in the Middle East through her tech startup that empowers women

Lina Alkhayat (b. 1980) is a Saudi Arabian entrepreneur who co-founded Madrasati, a leading Arabic-language e-learning platform that democratized access to quality education across the Arab world. Starting in 2008, she developed a curriculum delivery system addressing the region's 30% youth unemployment rate through skills training. Her platform now offers over 10,000 courses in STEM, entrepreneurship, and digital literacy, with 500,000+ registered users. Alkhayat's work received UN recognition for closing gender gaps in tech education, as 60% of her students are women. She pioneered the Women Techmakers Arabia initiative, creating mentorship networks for female coders. Her 2016 partnership with UNESCO expanded access to Syrian refugees, proving edtech's potential in conflict zones. Alkhayat's vision continues to shape regional education policies through her advisory role with the Saudi Ministry of Education.