How Are Emirati Women Shaping the Future of AI?

10X People

Mokshita P.
10X People
Published:

How Are Emirati Women Shaping the Future of AI?

On Emirati Women’s Day, highlighting Fatima AlKhoori, Dr. Hanan Aldarmaki, Maha Alblooki, Maitha Alshehhi, and Wafa Alghallabi for their groundbreaking contributions in AI and machine learning.

Emirati Women’s Day, is a special occasion to highlight and honour the achievements of Emirati women across various sectors. It was introduced by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi in 2015 to inspire and elevate women’s empowerment in the UAE. One notable place where Emirati women are making remarkable strides is Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI). At MBZUAI, Emirati women are excelling in fields like AI, including areas such as natural language processing (NLP) and ethical AI implementation.

Currently, there are 34 female Emirati students at MBZUAI, out of a total student body of 381 from 49 countries. This represents a significant contribution to the university's diverse academic community. Let’s take a look at five exceptional Emirati women from MBZUAI who are making a positive impact and inspiring others:

  1. Fatima AlKhoori is pursuing her Ph.D. in machine learning at MBZUAI. Fatima, who recently completed her second master’s in machine learning, is working on enhancing the accuracy of autonomous vehicles in recognising traffic signs. Her research is crucial for the safe development of self-driving technology, focusing on how AI can better interpret traffic signs under different conditions.

  2. Dr. Hanan Aldarmaki joined MBZUAI as an assistant professor of NLP in 2022. She specialises in Arabic speech and language processing, working on improving speech recognition and synthesis for Arabic and its dialects. Dr. Aldarmaki is also involved in projects related to speech and language disorders and is passionate about supporting students in their research. She represents MBZUAI on the UAE Graduate Students Research Conference steering committee.

  3. Maha Alblooki is a standout master’s student in NLP at MBZUAI. Her thesis research focuses on preserving Emirati cultural heritage through Arabic proverbs. Maha has made significant strides in Arabic NLP by fine-tuning language models and improving Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for Arabic text. Her work aims to enhance the digitisation and preservation of Arabic documents.

  4. Maitha Alshehhi is studying for her master’s in machine learning at MBZUAI. She is dedicated to the responsible use of AI and was recognized as a top innovator at G42 Cloud in 2023. Maitha's research focuses on creating AI systems that are reliable and ethically grounded. Her goal is to ensure that AI technologies are developed with transparency, fairness, and inclusivity in mind.

  5. Wafa Alghallabi is an MBZUAI alumna now pursuing her Ph.D. in machine learning. She is focusing on advancements in medical imaging to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes. Wafa has also co-founded a startup that uses AI to revolutionise healthcare, winning first place at the MBZUAI Incubation and Entrepreneurship Centre’s Pitch Day. Her achievements reflect the UAE’s commitment to empowering women in leadership and innovation.

These women are leading the way in their respective fields, contributing to the UAE’s vision of advancing technology and empowering women. Their work not only enhances the capabilities of AI but also inspires others to pursue their dreams and make meaningful contributions to society.