Lulwa Al-Hussein

Saudi Arabian entrepreneur fostering women's economic participation through tech-driven ventures

Lulwa Al-Hussein is a visionary business leader and founder of 1337WomenTech, a Saudi-based startup accelerating women's participation in tech industries. Born in 1992, she pioneered Saudi Arabia's first all-female hackathon in 2016 and later co-founded the Women20 (W20) Task Force on Digital Economy. Her initiatives directly address gender disparities in tech sectors where only 12% of Saudi tech workers are female.

Al-Hussein's ventures have trained over 5,000 women in coding and digital entrepreneurship, creating pathways for Saudi women to enter high-growth tech fields. Her company's 'Digital Nomad Visa' program connects skilled professionals with remote work opportunities, leveraging Saudi Vision 2030 reforms. Recognized as one of World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders, she advocates for policies that remove barriers to women's economic participation. Her 2018 collaboration with Google Arabia expanded digital literacy programs, while 2019 partnerships with MIT Media Lab advanced AI training initiatives for women. Al-Hussein's work exemplifies how tech innovation can drive social progress in rapidly modernizing societies.