STEMania earns Middle East HR recognition

by Lisa Stephens

Dubai, UAE — Last November, Saudi Aramco received the Middle East HR Ex- cellence Award for Best Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy or Initiative for our STEMania  program.

Malikah Al-Sharif, STEMania lead, was delighted to accept the award on behalf of Saudi Aramco and was pleased to see how impressed the audience and committee judges were with the program.

“Many people approached me and want- ed to collaborate. This made me feel even more proud of our program,” said Al-Shar- if. “It inspired me to want to have an even greater impact in developing future female STEM talent.”

STEMania has inspired more than 1,500 female students in elementary and inter- mediate grades over the past three years, supporting the Eastern Province and Riyadh by enticing students in grades 1 through 9 to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines.

Al-Sharif said, “When I was a student, I hated chemistry and mathematics because of a particular teacher. Her impact limited my understanding of science fields, and

ultimately, made me feel that I wouldn’t succeed in a degree that was heavily based on science. Because of this experience, I made sure that STEMania would train the teachers to help the students love science, and their experience in the program. I want students to see the full opportunities that STEM has to offer.”

influencing the future workforce

Lamah Al-Khayyal, head of the Women Development and Diversity Division (WD&DD), emphasized the impact.

“STEMania is a program that not only en- courages young Saudi females to join the STEM field; it helps pave the foundations for a new Kingdom where females have a leading role in all areas of the country’s de- velopment. Over the past three years, we have seen a mindset shift. Female students are now more interested in the pursuit of STEM majors, and their parents are sup- portive of this decision.”

Rahmah Nawwab, WD&DD outreach supervisor and mother of a STEMania student, provided her perspective.

“Being a mother to three wonderful young girls, I truly feel the everlasting im-

pact of the STEMania program will open up new horizons for Saudi Arab girls to be- come future scientists or engineers in the near future, God willing.”

the strategy behind the initiative

STEMania is aligned with the aspirations of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to increase female participation in the workforce, striving to reach 30% by 2030. The primary goal is to strengthen the female pipe- line by inspiring girls to have a passion for STEM-related fields. The program also focuses on enabling the Kingdom’s youth to reach their full potential, empowering them to play a more pivotal role in their communities, and the Kingdom as a whole. WD&DD serves Saudi Aramco and the wider community through the strengthen- ing of the female talent pipeline and the development and empowerment of women in the company and throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The division looks forward to beginning a new STEMania program early this year — will your daughter be attending? For pro- gram information, email Dalia Abushulaih at Dalia.Abushulaih@Aramco.com.

Malikah Al-Sharif, who on behalf of Saudi Aramco accepted the Middle East HR Excellence Award for Best Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy or Initiative, said the feedback she received from other profession- also from throughout the region inspired her to have “an even greater impact in develop- ing future female talent.” The company was recognized for our STEMania program. 

As Saudi Aramco continues to grow, our workforce becomes more diverse. Embracing diversity and working toward inclusion requires role models who are willing to champion inclusion.

Article appeared in The Arabian Sun, a Saudi Aramco publication for employees.