Sarah al-Amoudi

Saudi Arabian tech pioneer who founded the Middle East's first online education platform for girls

Sarah al-Amoudi (born 1988) is a Saudi Arabian innovator who disrupted regional education norms by creating Khadija Education in 2009 - the first online learning platform tailored for Saudi girls. Growing up in a village with limited educational opportunities for women, she identified the need for accessible, culturally appropriate education. Her platform now offers over 1,500 courses in STEM subjects, English language, and digital literacy, with 200,000+ registered students.

Al-Amoudi's breakthrough came during a time when less than 20% of Saudi girls completed secondary school. She developed a unique content filtering system that complies with local norms while providing globally competitive curricula. The platform's success led to a partnership with UNESCO to replicate the model in Yemen and Pakistan.

In 2016 she launched Saudi Girls' Scholarship Fund, enabling 3,000+ girls to pursue university degrees abroad. Her TED Talk 'Education Without Borders' has become a cornerstone of regional policy discussions.

Al-Amoudi's autobiography 'Breaking Barriers in Black Abayas' details her challenges navigating male-dominated tech spaces. She recently partnered with MIT to develop Arabic-language AI tutors, and her company is expanding into African markets through the AfricaLearn initiative.