Mohammed Ali Al-Madfaei

Saudi Arabian disability rights advocate who pioneered accessible tourism in the Middle East

Mohammed Ali Al-Madfaei (b. 1989) is a trailblazing disability rights activist from Saudi Arabia, best known for founding Wheelchair Travel ME in 2016. Losing both legs in a traffic accident at age 16, he turned his personal challenges into a mission to revolutionize accessibility in the Middle East. His company became the region's first travel agency specializing in accessible tourism, certifying over 300 hotels and attractions for wheelchair accessibility by 2019.

Al-Madfaei's 2017 campaign #AccessibleSaudi pressured the government to include accessibility standards in Vision 2030 urban development plans. He developed the Accessibility Rating System, a digital platform now used in 6 Gulf countries to assess public space accessibility. His advocacy led to the first accessible pilgrimage sites for Mecca's Hajj 2020 preparations.

He was named one of Forbes Middle East's 30 Under 30 in 2018 and received the International Disability Rights Award from the EU Parliament in 2019. His TEDx Talk "Why Accessibility Is a Right, Not a Privilege" has become a global benchmark for inclusive design principles.