Emirati Women Leading the Way in AI at MBZUAI on Emirati Women’s Day

Abu Dhabi, The Gulf Observer: In celebration of Emirati Women’s Day, the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has chosen to spotlight Emirati women who are excelling in their specialisations within the field of artificial intelligence (AI). These women are contributing significantly to advancements in AI, from natural language processing (NLP) to the ethical use of AI in industry, demonstrating the growing impact of Emirati women in this cutting-edge field.

MBZUAI, which currently hosts 34 female Emirati students out of a diverse student body of 381 from 49 countries, has a mission to foster innovation and leadership in AI. Among these students, five Emirati women have been selected by the university for their outstanding contributions and inspiring roles in the UAE and global tech industries.

Fatima AlKhoori, a transportation engineer with extensive industry experience, including her role as an R&D expert for Etihad Rail, is currently pursuing a PhD in machine learning at MBZUAI. Her research is focused on transformer model architecture to enhance the accuracy of traffic sign recognition in autonomous vehicles, a critical area for the safe integration of self-driving technologies. By leveraging both UAE-specific and global datasets, AlKhoori is contributing to significant advancements in transportation safety, reflecting her commitment to solving key infrastructure challenges through AI.

Dr. Hanan Aldarmaki, a leading expert in Arabic speech and language processing at MBZUAI, is making strides in AI through her exploration of unsupervised learning and transfer learning to adapt text and speech models for low-resource languages. Her work is vital in documenting Emirati dialects, enhancing their representation in AI models, and addressing speech and language disorders. Dr. Aldarmaki’s dedication to impactful research and leadership in the UAE Graduate Students Research Conference underscores her influential role in advancing NLP and mentoring the next generation of AI researchers.

Maha Alblooki, a standout master’s student at MBZUAI, is specialising in Arabic natural language processing. Her research aims to develop a large language model (LLM) to preserve the cultural heritage of Arabic proverbs, with a special focus on Emirati sayings. Alblooki has made significant progress in fine-tuning BERT models for the Arabic language and pioneering Optical Character Recognition (OCR) techniques to overcome challenges posed by Arabic script. Her work is pivotal in advancing AI’s ability to digitise and preserve Arabic documents, contributing to both the cultural and technological preservation of the language.

Maitha Alshehhi, another master’s student at MBZUAI, is dedicated to the responsible deployment of AI technologies. Recognised as a top innovator at G42 Cloud, Alshehhi’s research is focused on developing systems that enable AI to be more contextually intelligent and adaptable, aligning with ethical principles and the UAE’s AI strategy. Her commitment to promoting transparency, fairness, and inclusivity in AI highlights her influential role in shaping a future where AI serves humanity’s best interests.

Wafa Alghallabi, an MBZUAI alumna and current PhD student, is at the forefront of AI’s transformative potential in the medical field. Her research on medical imaging aims to enhance diagnostic accuracy and improve patient outcomes. Beyond academia, Alghallabi has co-founded a startup focused on AI-driven healthcare solutions, which won first place at the MBZUAI Incubation and Entrepreneurship Centre Pitch Day. Her achievements reflect the UAE’s vision of empowering women to lead and make significant contributions to both the nation and the global AI landscape.

These five women exemplify the spirit of Emirati Women’s Day, embodying the drive and determination that is propelling the UAE to the forefront of AI innovation. Through their work, they are not only advancing the field of AI but also inspiring future generations of women to pursue their dreams in technology and beyond.