Lifestyle

Dr. Fatmah Boathman: First Saudi Woman with a Phd in Artificial Intelligence

Published

2 years ago

March 7, 2019

Yara K

Saudi Arabia has been seeing the emergence of young female leaders, and with this month being dedicated to international women and mothers, it gives us the opportunity to highlight women with impressive achievements in the Kingdom.

Dr. Fatmah Boathman is the first Saudi woman in the Middle East with a PhD in Modern Artificial Intelligence (AI), thus embodying women’s empowerment in the Kingdom and proving the capabilities of women in any field.

She developed her fascination in AI back when she was still a student at the University of Arizona studying the English language, when she was greeted with several computer systems that assisted and helped non-native English speakers.

“I was fascinated by the level of machine communication and interaction,” Dr Baothman explained. “Once I started studying programing and understanding more about the Turing Test, which is a test that’s been designed to test the intelligence of machines, I became fascinated.”

Boathman graduated in 2003 from the School of Computing and Engineering at the University of Huddesfield in the UK, where she received her Phd in “Phonology-Based Automatic Speech Recognition for Arabic.” Her work mainly focused on AI and she was introduced to pattern recognition, forecasting, phonology, phonetics, acoustics, machine learning and mathematics.

This sort of work is what can be used in order to enable humans to connect via speech to machines, as well as machines to machines, thus raising the level of intelligence in robotics.

“We worked with a robot and we were able to increase its intelligence from four to seven years,” she exclaimed. “Speech is a very important tool in different applications that could be used in smart cities, smart cars and smartphones — it’s about connecting machines and people, and machines to machines, even if they don’t speak our language, they find a way of communicating in which they can interact with each other.”

“I spent hours trying to figure out how it worked,” she said. “Once I started studying it, I started realizing and building an emotional interest towards the topic. I always had a wish to be a part of the AI community and contribute to such an important discipline.” She added; explaining her interest in machine communication.

Boatham aims at tackling several and different fields through AI, taking economy for instance, she hopes to bring develop solutions for fluctuation issues such as poverty. “I believe that, very soon, AI will play an important role in that,” she noted. “I’m interested in it and I’ve already started forming a group to work on it.”

Boatham started off his career as an advisor for MMG ‘MedLab Media Group’, a startup that focuses on improving clinical practice. And she has also worked as an assistant teacher at the King Abdulaziz University for more than 25 years, in the faculty of computing and IT. Which made also marked her as the first woman to be appointed TA in the university’s computer science department for women.

“It makes me feel very excited to be the first woman with a PhD in Modern AI. We are planning to establish an AI lab in Jeddah very soon to work in blockchain technology, AI projects and other areas, directed towards healthcare.” She added.

Lifestyle

AlUla is Getting a Breathtaking Resort Designed By French Architect Jean Nouvel

Published

1 day ago

October 27, 2020

Yara K

AlUla, one of the Kingdom’s most breathtaking places, is getting a one of a kind resort that is designed by the exceptional French architect Jean Nouvel, and the new concept designs for the resort have been revealed today!

The designs show a deeper look at the architect’s daring vision for AlUla, the cultural oasis in north-west Arabia.

As the concepts were unveiled, architect Jean Nouvel described AlUla as “The coming together of a landscape and history; The history of past civilizations in an extraordinary landscape – the only place to create such a masterpiece.”

Nouvel emphasized the significance of preserving such a unique landscape: “AlUla is a museum. Every wadi and escarpment, every stretch of sand and rocky outline, every geological and archeological site deserves the greatest consideration. It’s vital we keep all its distinctiveness and conserve its attractiveness, which largely rests on its remote and occasionally archaic character. We have to safeguard a little mystery as well as the promise of discoveries to come.”

Nouvel made sure to blend AlUla’s landscape and ancient heritage with the modern architectural ideas. “AlUla deserves to acquire a degree of modernity,” he suggests. “Envisioning the future is a never-ending obligation that requires us to be fully alive to places in the present as well as conjuring up the past.”

“Our project should not jeopardize what humanity and time have consecrated,” emphasizes Nouvel, “Our project is celebrating the Nabateans spirit without caricaturing it. This creation genuinely becomes a cultural act.

Amr AlMadani, CEO of RCU, said: “These concepts, which showcase Jean Nouvel’s masterly innovation in architecture, underscore our commitment to developing AlUla as a global tourism destination without compromising the history, heritage, and landscape of AlUla. We are a destination built by artists. Sharaan by Jean Nouvel will build on that legacy to become a timeless landscape-architecture that will last forever – a gift to the world.”

We can’t wait to see the end result of such a magnificent project!

Lifestyle

Women of Saudi Arabia Played an Exceptional Role at at W20 Summit

Published

6 days ago

October 22, 2020

Yara K

During the W20 Summit, women of Saudi Arabia played an exceptional role and the efforts they exerted in the fight against the virus have been praised by King Salman.

King Salman praised their role during a speech that he delivered at the end of the W20, the G20 women’s engagement group, on Wednesday, King Salman said: “I would like to express my gratitude to the Women 20 Engagement Group for their remarkable efforts and commitment to deliver their agenda during these unprecedented times caused by the COVID -19 pandemic.”

The king further spoke on the role of women in general and how they’re the source of any development and evolution of the society, he also added that empowered women are the ones who reform societies.

“Women are the main source of development for any society. Hence, without empowered women, it is almost impossible to implement any societal reforms given that women form half of the societies and they are the ones who raise up generations. Women has proven through history their remarkable role in leading change and in decision making.”

The king noted that Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the G20 has helped dedicate a special attention to policies that relate to women across different ministerial and working group meetings.

Lifestyle

Amal Al-Moallimi Is Now the Second Female Ambassador to the Kingdom

Published

1 week ago

October 21, 2020

Yara K

The Kingdom just appointed yet another woman for the position of an ambassador!

Amal Yahya Al-Moallimi has been appointed by Saudi Arabia as the ambassador to Norway, which makes her now the Kingdom’s second female ambassador after Princess Reema Bint Bandar.

Al-Moallimi took the oath of office among others in an online ceremony that was held on Tuesday, in the presence King Salman and in the presence of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

Saudi’s second ambassador started her career as a teacher 20 years ago and got involved in the fields of education, training and social development.

She also served as general manager of international cooperation and organizations at the Saudi Human Rights Commission (SHRC) since 2019.

We’re eternally grateful for the constant pride that women of Saudi Arabia keep on giving us! We wish her the best of luck.