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Leading Ladies

10 Saudi Female Scientists Working At Aramco

Global leading company Aramco continues to grow an inclusive female workforce of bright minds. On this International Women's Day we celebrate 10 brilliant female scientists working at Aramco's several departments. Click through to get to know these Saudi female geniuses:

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1 of 9

Dr. Nadrah Alawani

At Aramco, Dr. Nadrah Alawani is entrusted with the operation of the Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry machine. In her daily work, the scientist and mother-of-two works on the molecular level characterization of hydrocarbon streams, polymers, oil field chemicals and fuel additives. Her field, referred to as petroleomics, requires the application of chemical analysis to study petroleum oil at a molecular level during every stage of oil and gas production, from “well to wheel.”

2 of 9

Maryam Altaher

Since 2015, Maryam Altaher has worked as a lab scientist on the cutting edge of such innovations at Aramco’s Research and Development Center. Her team researches formulations that can convert current fuels like gasoline to a more reactive fuel that suits gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engines.

3 of 9

Dr. Amani Musharah

Dr. Musharah is an elite expert on fuels, working in a crucial area of operations for one of the world’s largest integrated energy and chemicals companies, and carving a path for women with every step along the way. At Aramco’s Research and Development Center (R&DC), Dr. Musharah’s team oversees specifications of the company’s fuel products, ensuring that they achieve optimum performance for customers.

4 of 9

Dr. Anaam Al-ShaikhAli

In 2006, Dr. Anaam Al-ShaikhAli joined the Research and Development Center (R&DC) at Saudi Aramco, among only two other female scientists. In 2021, their numbers have increased to 43 female lab scientists and 23 female engineers. Today, she works as a senior lab scientist in Aramco’s Advanced Analysis Unit of the Technical Services Division, focusing on materials characterizations. Using advanced and complementary characterization techniques, including microscopies, spectroscopies and thermal analysis, she and her team characterize in-house developed materials, conduct material failure and root-cause analysis, and participate in corrosion investigation studies.

5 of 9

Fatimah Banawi and Aniela Zarzar

Fatimah and Aniela are loss prevention engineers at Aramco who work diligently to protect lives and company assets. Fatimah works in oil and gas facilities, ensuring compliance with safety standards and work procedures, and verifying design implementations. Aniela works at the company headquarters in Dhahran, providing corporate-level support on process safety to prevent operational incidents. Fatimah Banawi and Aniela Zarzar are now making this transition easier and safer for women. Their team has created a fire-resistant headscarf, or hijab, and a cleverly designed double-layered shirt, designed to protect women from flammable substances while ensuring modesty to accommodate cultural norms in the region.

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Dr. Haleema Alamri

Dr. Haleema Alamri is a senior lab scientist in the Materials Design Lab at Saudi Aramco’s R&D Center. The mother of two, who earned a PhD in chemistry from KAUST, is an MIT research affiliate and the chair to the female Saudi social innovation group.

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Dr. Elaf Ahmed

Dr. Ahmed joined Saudi Aramco in 2018 as a lab scientist on the Produced Water Treatment Team (PWT), which is a part of the Oil and Gas Treatment Division at Aramco’s R&D’s center.

She is one of the project leaders on a team of around 10 scientists who work on research projects for different produced water treatment technologies. “’Produced water’ is a term used in the oil industry to describe water that is the byproduct of the production of oil and natural gas,” she explains. “Oil and gas reservoirs often have water, as well as hydrocarbons. It’s very important to find suitable technologies to treat this water for potential applications.”

Dr. Ahmed pursued her bachelor’s degree Microbiology from King Abdulaziz University and her Master’s degree and PhD in Environmental Science and Engineering from King Abdullah University of Science a.nd Technology (KAUST).

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Abeer AlJabr

Abeer AlJabr joined Saudi Aramco in July 2017 to work as an engineer in the company’s Fire Protection Department (FrPD). Becoming Pro Board certified in Firefighter I and II with a NFPA Certification, the Saudi female trailblazer underwent rigorous physical training and passed medical and skill tests to complete the Hazmat Awareness and Hazmat Operations.

“I feel very proud to be a part of the Kingdom’s historic progress and to receive NFPA firefighting certification. Once a development like this is set in motion, there will be growth in the number of women joining previously male dominated professions. Diversity is important to bring the full complement of differing skill sets, talents and perspectives to the table,” she says.

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Esra M. Alhabshi

Since graduating in 2016 with Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering, Nanotechnology and Microsystems, Esra M. Alhabshi has worked at Saudi Aramco’s satellite R&D Center, as a member of the Sustainable Energy team, in collaboration with KAUST. She conducts experiment after experiment, working to improve the efficiency of solar cells and researching the use of non-metallics. Her work focuses on unlocking the potentials of non-corrosive materials in the automotive, construction, renewable energy and packaging industries.

Her days consist of ever-shifting variables, some imposed and some not, to see which conditions, materials and parameters yield the best results. “It can get tedious sometimes, doing the same thing over and over, “ she says. “But when you see the difference in your results, even from the smallest shifts, you can see the possibilities of what can be done on a larger scale. We look to align ourselves with the overall goals of Saudi Aramco and our work includes all areas of innovation.

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Leading Ladies

10 Saudi Female Scientists Working At Aramco

Dr. Nadrah Alawani

Maryam Altaher

Dr. Amani Musharah

Dr. Anaam Al-ShaikhAli

Fatimah Banawi and Aniela Zarzar

Dr. Haleema Alamri

Dr. Elaf Ahmed

Abeer AlJabr

Esra M. Alhabshi

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