Selwa Al-Hazzaa
Encyclopedia
Dr. Selwa Al-Hazzaa is a Saudi
ophthalmologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital
as the head of the ophthalmology department. She is considered as one of the most influential personalities in Saudi Arabia
, and the Arab World
in general. She is also considered to be a pioneer for Saudi
women, as she is one of the first Saudi
women to achieve international success academically and professionally.
. She studied at Tucson High, then moved back with her family to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to complete high school studies. She later enrolled at King Saud University
to study medicine. She married a Saudi and moved with him to Washington, DC because he worked at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC. She continued to pursue her studies at Johns Hopkins University
and obtained her residence at Johns Hopkins Hospital
in three years. After that, she moved back to Riyadh to work at King Faisal Specialist Hospital
. She published many papers, but her most important paper was DUANES, which specialized in genetically inherited eye diseases in Saudi Arabia. In 1997, she became the first female department head in King Faisal Specialist Hospital, as she became the head of the ophthalmology department.
In that same year she appeared on Marquis Who's Who in the World Publication Board's fourteenth edition as one of the most prominent personalities for that year. A year after that, in 1998, she was chosen as woman of the year by the American Biographical Institute.
She was appointed by the King of Saudi Arabia as the leader of the Saudi delegation to rectify Saudi Arabia's internationally-damaged stereotypical image. She is fulfilling that role through her non-governmental organization, Friends of Saudi Arabia, funded primarily through the Prince Sultan Foundation, the charitable arm of the Office of the Crown Prince.
She currently resides in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with her husband, Abdullah Al-Obaidallah, two sons, Meshal & Naif Al-Obaidallah, and only daughter, Hala Al-Obaidallah.
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
ophthalmologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital
King Faisal Specialist Hospital
The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center is a hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which operates 850 beds with approximately 8,500 employees. In all there are 63 different nationalities making up the staff. The hospital is the national referral center for oncology, organ...
as the head of the ophthalmology department. She is considered as one of the most influential personalities in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, and the Arab World
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
in general. She is also considered to be a pioneer for Saudi
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
women, as she is one of the first Saudi
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
women to achieve international success academically and professionally.
Education and Life
At a young age she moved with her family from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to Tucson, ArizonaTucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. She studied at Tucson High, then moved back with her family to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to complete high school studies. She later enrolled at King Saud University
King Saud University
King Saud University is a public university located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 1957 by King Saud bin Abdul Aziz as Riyadh University, as the first university in the kingdom not dedicated to religious subjects. The university was created to meet the shortage of skilled workers in...
to study medicine. She married a Saudi and moved with him to Washington, DC because he worked at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC. She continued to pursue her studies at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
and obtained her residence at Johns Hopkins Hospital
Johns Hopkins Hospital
The Johns Hopkins Hospital is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, located in Baltimore, Maryland . It was founded using money from a bequest by philanthropist Johns Hopkins...
in three years. After that, she moved back to Riyadh to work at King Faisal Specialist Hospital
King Faisal Specialist Hospital
The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center is a hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which operates 850 beds with approximately 8,500 employees. In all there are 63 different nationalities making up the staff. The hospital is the national referral center for oncology, organ...
. She published many papers, but her most important paper was DUANES, which specialized in genetically inherited eye diseases in Saudi Arabia. In 1997, she became the first female department head in King Faisal Specialist Hospital, as she became the head of the ophthalmology department.
In that same year she appeared on Marquis Who's Who in the World Publication Board's fourteenth edition as one of the most prominent personalities for that year. A year after that, in 1998, she was chosen as woman of the year by the American Biographical Institute.
She was appointed by the King of Saudi Arabia as the leader of the Saudi delegation to rectify Saudi Arabia's internationally-damaged stereotypical image. She is fulfilling that role through her non-governmental organization, Friends of Saudi Arabia, funded primarily through the Prince Sultan Foundation, the charitable arm of the Office of the Crown Prince.
She currently resides in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with her husband, Abdullah Al-Obaidallah, two sons, Meshal & Naif Al-Obaidallah, and only daughter, Hala Al-Obaidallah.
External links
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sBxq7-M_Og
- http://www.researchprofiles.collexis.com/jhu/expertJournals.asp?n=AL%2DHAZZAA%2C+SELWA&u_id=3580
- http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=37847&d=11&m=1&y=2004
- http://saudiwoman.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/prominent-saudis-dr-salwa-al-hazza/