Meet the leading Saudi biotechnologist and inspirational female leader who blends her scientific bent with a personal touch to effect significant societal transformation.
Dr. Hayat Sindi is a world-renowned biotechnologist and an advocate of science and technology. She is a trailblazing, inspiring female leader who is fighting to better the lives of people all over the world by firmly believing in the ability of science, technology, and creativity to tackle the world’s most pressing development concerns.
Dr. Sindi, a former Senior Advisor to the President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) for Science, Technology, and Innovation, was named one of the BBC’s top 100 Women 2018, a list of inspirational and powerful women from across the globe. Along with a team from Harvard University, she co-founded and co-invented “Diagnostics For All,” an initiative to provide cheap diagnostic equipment for millions of people in disadvantaged places. These new, low-cost, point-of-care diagnostic gadgets do not require electricity, water, or trained doctors and may offer potentially life-saving medical findings in minutes.
Dr. Sindi led the “Diagnostics For All” business team to first place in the social enterprise track of Harvard Business School’s Business Plan Contest in 2008, as well as first place in MIT’s $100K (Dh367,000) Entrepreneurship Competition in the same year — the first time ever that the same team won first place in both competitions in the same year.
On Friday, she spoke at an event commemorating International Day of Women and Girls in Science at Expo 2020 Dubai.