Sulafa Al-Wazzan

Saudi Arabian trailblazer advancing women's education and STEM participation in the Middle East

Sulafa Al-Wazzan (b. 1972) is a groundbreaking Saudi educator and advocate who transformed women's access to education in the Kingdom. As founder of the Almarah School in Jeddah, she pioneered co-educational programs at a time when gender segregation was strictly enforced. Her institution became the first in Saudi Arabia to implement mixed-gender science labs and robotics workshops, preparing girls for STEM careers.

Al-Wazzan's research on gender equity influenced policy changes allowing women to study abroad without male guardian permission. She developed the STEM for Women initiative that trained over 5,000 female teachers across 15 Middle Eastern countries. Her memoir 《Bridging Horizons》 documents her advocacy work.