Female Trailblazers lighting an innovative pathin the Middle East
Saudi Arabia Focus
Ammina RaoAssociate,Innovation, Patents & Industrial Property
Minal SapraParalegal,Innovation, Patents & Industrial Property
The Middle East may not traditionally be known as a powerhouse of female entrepreneurship and innovation, but with recent initiatives and real-life stories, female empowerment is certainly at the top of the agenda now. This article explores what some of these trailblazing women have been accomplishing and also considers how they should be protecting their new innovations.
There are many female inventors and innovators from the Middle East who have made significant contributions to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
In its Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has vowed to increase women’s participation and contribution to the economy. Saudi Arabia’s objectives were reiterated further at the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Women's Empowerment in Bali, Indonesia in August 2022, where it highlighted the importance of empowering women in the digital sphere to increase their participation in the workforce. The meeting was attended by representatives from Saudi Arabia's Family Affairs Council, who emphasized that one of the goals of the 2030 Vision is to increase women's participation in the workforce and support women-owned businesses. Saudi Arabia has also taken steps to empower women digitally and prioritized women's economic empowerment through initiatives such as increasing access to leadership positions and providing support for female entrepreneurs. These efforts are aimed at increasing women's involvement in the market and improving production and productivity levels.
These initiatives have inspired many Saudi women to seize new opportunities and become pioneers in the tech and innovation space.
Take scientist Hayat Sindi for example, who has invented a range of medical diagnostic technologies and is a well-known spokesperson for encouraging girls to enter STEM fields, and Renad Al-Hussein, a medical student at King Saud University in Riyadh, who was named the world's best female inventor for 2020 by the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization. Al-Hussein has developed an invention to help deaf and hearing impaired drivers. The invention is made up of sensors that send sound frequencies to a device inside the car, which then identifies and displays a description, image and colour of the sound source visually and alerts the driver of risk.
These are just two examples, other women that have made notable contributions in their respective fields include Bedour Al-Maghrabi, Maha Al-Qahtani, Thekra Al-Otaibi, Mariam Al-Otaibi, and Dr. Nadrah Alawani (though this list is not exhaustive by any means and will undoubtedly continue to grow as Saudi Arabia’s initiatives gain more traction).
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been following a similar trajectory and has taken several initiatives to promote women's empowerment in the digital sphere. The UAE government has implemented initiatives such as the Abu Dhabi Plan, Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, and the UAE National Innovation Strategy to unlock digital transformation. The "Strategy for the Empowerment of Emirati Women" is an initiative of the UAE government that seeks to transform the country into a leading model in the Arab region for women's empowerment in all areas of sustainable development, including the media.
Women make up more than 50% of STEM graduates in the UAE, which is higher than international averages, as surveyed by UNESCO. Arab women are taking leading roles in the tech industry and setting an example for aspiring IT and technology enthusiasts and continue to make their mark with a growing presence in medicine and make up at least 35% of health sector employees in the country. In 2021, the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents MENA Awards recognized 14 Arab female scientists from the Middle East and North Africa region, 2 of whom were from the UAE. These awards celebrate women's achievements in STEM fields and raise awareness of their contributions and encourage others to aspire to follow a similar path.
Some examples of UAE female inventors who have achieved success in the field of science and technology include Her Excellency Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Advanced Technology, who has spoken out about the importance of women's role in science research and innovation across the Middle East and led the country's efforts into space with the Hope Probe mission to Mars in 2020. Emirati inventor, Eida Butti Al Muhairbi has 100 international inventions registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). And Dr. Fatmah Baothman is the first woman in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East to hold a PhD in Modern Artificial Intelligence (AI).
These examples evidence the important role that women have played and will continue to play in inventorship and technology in the Gulf region.
The protection of new innovations is usually at the forefront of an inventor’s mind and must be considered closely as female inventorship continues to flourish in the Middle East.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) incentivizes protecting innovation, including innovation enabled by artificial intelligence (AI). In June 2022, the USPTO held its inaugural AI/ET Partnership meeting to discuss inventorship law with respect to AI generated inventions.
In Saudi Arabia and the UAE, innovative inventions can be protected through patent applications provided that the invention is new, involves an inventive step, and does not lead to violation of public order or morals.
In the Middle East, heads of intellectual property (IP) offices have called for enhancing cooperation with WIPO in promoting women's innovation and creativity. In Saudi Arabia and the UAE, innovative inventions can be protected through patent applications provided that the invention is new, involves an inventive step, and does not lead to violation of public order or morals. There has been an 11% rise in patent applications from women in Saudi Arabia last year, indicating a surge in innovation.
Furthermore, data from WIPO shows that there has been an increase of women’s share in patent applications across six Arab countries including Egypt, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and the UAE
When trying to secure a patent in either the UAE or Saudi Arabia, individuals and companies should ensure that they have high quality technical Arabic translation for their application as this is required for filing in most Arabic speaking jurisdictions.
Filing a patent application for an innovative invention and paying annuity fees can provide numerous benefits. A patent grants the inventor exclusive rights to exploit the commercial potential of their idea. This means that they can publicly disclose their invention without fear of it being copied or used by others. Additionally, a patent can be used to signal higher technological capabilities, greater innovative abilities and superior performance in advertising.
The above points are a very basic introduction to patent filing that new inventors should consider however, it is advisable to seek legal advice on how best to protect intellectual property rights in both countries.
Overall, it is clear that women are making great strides towards achieving equal representation as inventors and entrepreneurs across the world. A thriving economy must harness all of its potential, and that is exactly what the Middle East is doing by launching numerous initiatives to encourage women to seize opportunities and enhance innovation across the region. As these efforts grow, public policy should continue empowering women and also focus on protecting the innovative outcomes of these initiatives.
For further information, please contact Ammina Rao or Minal Sapra.
Published in March 2023
