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Saudi Women Break Barriers, Shine in Politics, Sports, AI

Rayyanah Barnawi (Photo taken from her account on X)
Rayyanah Barnawi (Photo taken from her account on X)
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Saudi Women Break Barriers, Shine in Politics, Sports, AI

Rayyanah Barnawi (Photo taken from her account on X)
Rayyanah Barnawi (Photo taken from her account on X)

On International Women’s Day, Asharq Al-Awsat highlights Saudi women’s great contribution to the development of society in various fields, including human rights, space, artificial intelligence and sports.

Saudi women have made remarkable progress in recent years in a number of areas, including political work, as Saudi Arabia now has five female ambassadors abroad - an important development that reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to empowering the role of women in decision-making.

- Human Rights

In a historic step, Hala Al-Tuwaijri was appointed President of the Human Rights Commission in the Kingdom in December 2022. Al-Tuwaijri’s assumption of this post comes within the framework of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to promoting human rights and achieving sustainable development.

Al-Tuwaijri plays a vital role in enhancing awareness on respecting human rights and the values of justice and equality. She also works to emphasize the need for communication and interaction with the local and international community to achieve the goals of the Human Rights Commission.

- Space

In February 2023, a new page was opened in the history of Saudi space exploration, with a historic achievement that saw Saudi Rayyanah Barnawi becoming the first Saudi female astronaut. The event constituted a turning point in the development of Saudi women and their realization of their dreams in the fields of science and technology.

Barnawi, a biomedical researcher, was part of a Space X mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in May 2023. She has over 9 years of experience in stem cell and tissue re-engineering programs, and throughout her career she has worked on improving research protocols, exploring many technologies, managing several breast cancer research projects, and publishing numerous publications in the same field.

- Artificial Intelligence

Dr. Kholoud Al-Mana recently established the Saudi Center of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence, which is the first of its kind in the Kingdom, with a global multidisciplinary team, to target high-impact artificial intelligence projects that fuel innovation and investment in the field’s infrastructure.

Al-Mana is an exceptional Saudi woman, who was appointed as ambassador for global women’s empowerment by the United Nations International Organization for Human Rights and selected as a keynote speaker at the 7th World Summit on Human Rights in Geneva.

- Motorsport

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has witnessed great development in women’s participation in fields that were previously limited to men, including motorsport.

Maha Al-Hamali is considered one of the most prominent female drivers in the field, as she won a number of local and international races, and became an inspiration for many ambitious Saudi women.

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Palestinian Olympic Team Greeted with Cheers and Gifts in Paris

Palestinian athletes Yazan Al Bawwab and Valerie Tarazi try a date offered to them by a young supporter upon arriving to the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Roissy, north of Paris, France. (AP Photo/Megan Janetsky)
Palestinian athletes Yazan Al Bawwab and Valerie Tarazi try a date offered to them by a young supporter upon arriving to the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Roissy, north of Paris, France. (AP Photo/Megan Janetsky)
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Palestinian Olympic Team Greeted with Cheers and Gifts in Paris

Palestinian athletes Yazan Al Bawwab and Valerie Tarazi try a date offered to them by a young supporter upon arriving to the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Roissy, north of Paris, France. (AP Photo/Megan Janetsky)
Palestinian athletes Yazan Al Bawwab and Valerie Tarazi try a date offered to them by a young supporter upon arriving to the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Roissy, north of Paris, France. (AP Photo/Megan Janetsky)

Palestinian Olympic athletes were greeted with a roar of a crowd and gifts of food and roses as they arrived in Paris on Thursday, ready to represent war–torn Gaza and the rest of the territories on a global stage.

As the beaming athletes walked through a sea of Palestinian flags at the main Paris airport, they said they hoped their presence would serve as a symbol amid the Israel-Hamas war that has claimed more than 39,000 Palestinian lives.

Athletes, French supporters and politicians in the crowd urged the European nation to recognize a Palestinian state, while others expressed outrage at Israel's presence at the Games after UN-backed human rights experts said Israeli authorities were responsible for “war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

“France doesn’t recognize Palestine as a country, so I am here to raise the flag,” said Yazan Al-Bawwab, a 24-year-old Palestinian swimmer born in Saudi Arabia. “We're not treated like human beings, so when we come play sports, people realize we are equal to them.”

"We're 50 million people without a country," he added.

Al-Bawwab, one of eight athletes on the Palestinian team, signed autographs for supporters and plucked dates from a plate offered by a child in the crowd.

The chants of “free Palestine” echoing through the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport show how conflict and the political tension are rippling through the Olympic Games. The world is coming together in Paris at a moment of global political upheaval, multiple wars, historic migration and a deepening climate crisis, all issues that have risen to the forefront of conversation in the Olympics.

In May, French President Emmanuel Macron said he prepared to officially recognize a Palestinian state but that the step should “come at a useful moment” when emotions aren’t running as high. That fueled anger by some like 34-year-old Paris resident Ibrahim Bechrori, who was among dozens of supporters waiting to greet the Palestinian athletes in the airport.

“I'm here to show them they're not alone, they're supported," Bechrouri said. Them being here “shows that the Palestinian people will continue to exist, that they won't be erased. It also means that despite the dire situation, they're staying resilient. They're still a part of the world and are here to stay.”

Palestinian ambassador to France Hala Abou called for France to formally recognize a Palestinian state and for a boycott of the Israeli Olympic delegation. Abou has previously said she has lost 60 relatives in the war.

“It’s welcome that comes as no surprise to the French people, who support justice, support the Palestinian people, support their inalienable right to self-determination,” she said.

That call for recognition comes just a day after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a scathing speech to Congress during a visit to Washington, which was met with protests. He declared he would achieve “total victory” against Hamas and called those protesting the war on college campuses and elsewhere in the US “useful idiots” for Iran.

Israel's embassy in Paris echoed the International Olympic Committee in a “decision to separate politics from the Games.”

"We welcome the Olympic Games and our wonderful delegation to France. We also welcome the participation of all the foreign delegations," the Embassy wrote in a statement to The Associated Press. “Our athletes are here to proudly represent their country, and the entire nation is behind to support them.”

The AP has made multiple attempts to speak with Israeli athletes without success.

Even under the best of circumstances, it is difficult to maintain a vibrant Olympics training program in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem. That's become next to impossible in nine months of war between Israel and Hamas as much of the country's sporting infrastructure have been devastated.

Among the large Palestinian diaspora worldwide, many of the athletes on the team were born or live elsewhere, yet they care deeply about the politics of their parents’ and grandparents’ homeland. Among them was Palestinian American swimmer Valerie Tarazi, who handed out traditional keffiyehs to supporters surrounding her Thursday.

“You can either crumble under pressure or use it as energy,” she said. “I chose to use it as energy.”