Rafea Sultan

Jordanian solar engineer empowering Bedouin women through renewable energy

Rafea Sultan, a Jordanian mother of four, became the Arab world's first female solar engineer through India's Barefoot College program. She electrified 80 Bedouin villages using recycled smartphone batteries and locally sourced photovoltaic panels.

Her 'Solar Sisters' initiative trained 300 illiterate women across MENA to install solar microgrids, reducing diesel dependency by 75% in remote communities. The documentary Solar Mamas chronicled her fight against tribal leaders who initially opposed female technical education.

Sultan co-developed the Solar Camel project - mobile charging stations carried by desert animals. This innovation brought electricity to 15,000 nomadic families while preserving traditional lifestyles.