World

International Women’s Day: Saudi engineer says inspired by female role models

The leadership commitment, VISION 2030 and “the fast developments in the Kingdom over the past years enabled me and all Saudi women to aim even higher,” GE’s Outage Planning Engineer Kawther Alkhalifah told Al Arabiya English ahead of Women’s Day 2023.
The recent announcement to send the first Saudi female astronaut, Rayyanah Barnawi, to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2023, excited the Saudi professional who works in a challenging role as Outage Planning Engineer with GE Gas Power, in the Kingdom’s city of Dammam.
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Ahead of International Women’s Day celebrated annually on March 8, Alkhalifah said many female role models in Saudi Arabia and across the region inspired her to pursue a career in STEM.
“There are many female role models in my home country of Saudi Arabia, across the region and globally that inspired me to pursue a career in STEM,” she told Al Arabiya English.
“With my family support, I studied overseas which gave me the opportunity to study a major in engineering which wasn’t available for females in the early 2000s.”

She added: “Saudi Arabia is empowering women to seek new areas of study in STEM disciplines. Scholarships are given to study abroad and different engineering majors for females have also been opened such as those now available in the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and Effat University. What keeps me excited and inspired are the rapid developments and new milestones that females in the Kingdom are achieving.”

Journey from graduation to GE

Alkhalifah graduated from Arkansas Tech University in the US in August 2013, and her first job was as a Project Coordination Engineer coordinating between the Standardization Department customer team and vendors to get spares parts data packages.

GE’s Outage Planning Engineer Kawther Alkhalifah. (Supplied)

In 2015, she Joined the GE Gas Power through Graduate Management Program (GMP) which is one of the leadership programs – a 12-month program that prepares recently qualified graduates for a successful career in their chosen discipline within the organization.
“In this role, I served as a Customer Service Engineer helping key customers in the Kingdom, tracking and providing support on technical matters. During this program, I led the efforts of the On-site Monitoring Server Project to connect customer’s Gas turbines to the Monitoring and Diagnostic Center (M&D) in Dammam,” she explained.
According to the engineer, new job opportunities were created with the opening of this center which required the applicant to have technical background of gas turbines.
“I was interested to apply for this job, so I began to strengthen my technical knowledge by taking several online courses, engaging with the engineering team, and visiting sites whenever there is an outage, and where the gas turbine is unboxed,” Alkhalifah said.
In 2016, she joined the M&D center as a First Tier Engineer. For this role, she says she received training for two weeks at the GE office in Atlanta, Georgia.
“I worked with customer engineers to validate alarms and analyze matters for the different connected gas turbines in Saudi Arabia. The aim of this job is to support the operation of the gas turbine and provide real time diagnostics. Apart from this role, I was interested to work with the RAM (Reliability, Availability, and Modelling) team in GE where I started to work on more sites and started to consolidate best practices, preventive, and corrective actions for larger fleet.”
In 2019, Alkhalifah joined the Outage Planning team to support outages for global sites located in the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe (MENA).
“I work on planning prior to scheduled outage which is the date when the gas turbines are shut down for maintenance,” she said. “In this role, I am responsible for identifying engineering recommendations on technical matters. Outage time is an opportunity to resolve issues and to apply upgrades and modifications to the machines.”
Alkhalifah continued to work on RAM+ project and began leading this effort for customer sites in the Middle East. She explained how she went about her effort: “I am always looking to learn and expand my knowledge. Therefore, I want to be an expert in one area of the gas turbine. Consequently, I started to take biweekly learning sessions with my mentor on the hot gas path section of the gas turbine. I also started to work with the processing team to improve the data quality and have better insights on the fleet.”
She also commented on GE’s corporate culture which has helped her to take up a leadership role in her chosen field.
“GE always supports its employees by advancing their knowledge and leadership skills through different technical and leadership courses. I am grateful to my manager who saw a spark in me, which encouraged me to lead calls with the customer and take ownership in providing solutions to our customers,” she told Al Arabiya English.

“Motivation and willingness to learn are important key factors that can help a woman succeed in the Tech sector, as well as being courageous to seek new roles,” Alkhalifah says.
She also discussed the personal support systems that helped her progress in her career.
“My family supported me when I chose to major in mechanical engineering, and they hoped that new opportunities will arise in the country for females. And now my husband and all my loved ones continue to support me whenever I need encouragement and support,” Alkhalifah said.
On International Women’s Day, the Saudi engineer wanted to give other young women who wants to take up careers in STEM a message.
“The world is changing rapidly, and new innovations and technologies are transforming every aspect of our lives,” she said. “A new range of careers have also come up, so I really urge more women to seize such opportunities. Also, by having more women in STEM fields, we can bridge the gender gaps that will bring new ideas and skillsets to the workplace.”

UAE empowerment policies help Emirati businesswomen thrive

World

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

World

At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

World

US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM