The editor-in-chief of Arab News has been named a finalist for the Alumni Awards 2017 in Saudi Arabia, which celebrate the achievements of those who studied at UK universities.
Faisal J. Abbas is one of nine international alumni in the running, with the finalists having been announced by Simon Collis, the British ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and Amir Ramzan, country director of the British Council.
The winners of the Alumni Awards will be announced in March at an award ceremony hosted by the British Ambassador.
Awards will be given in three categories, and honor those who studied at UK universities within the last 15 years. They mark the achievements of business professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders who can demonstrate how their UK education has impacted on their careers.
Abbas, who studied for a Masters in marketing communications at the University of Westminster, was shortlisted in the Social Impact Award category, which recognizes those who have made an exceptional contribution to creating positive change and improving the lives of others.
The other finalists in the category are Dr. May Alrashed, who studied for a Ph.D. in genetics at University College London (UCL), and Dr. Moaz Mojaddidi, who has a Ph.D. in Medicine, specializing in diabetes and endocrinology from the University of Manchester.
The three finalists for the Professional Achievement Award are: Dr. Taghreed Al-Saraj, who studied at UCL; Dr. Mohammed Alzaghibi (University of Leeds); and Dr. Yousef Alshammari (Imperial College London).
The Entrepreneurial Award finalists are: Dr. Emad Bukhary (London South Bank University), Dr. Talal Almaghrabi (Brunel University); and Dr. Yasser Binahmed Master (University of Westminster).
“This is the second year of the Alumni Awards in Saudi Arabia and all the applicants have amazing stories to tell,” said Ambassador Collis.
“I congratulate all the finalists who are leaders in their fields and who have used their experience of studying at a UK university to make a positive contribution to their communities, professions and countries. I look forward to meeting all of them at the award ceremony in March 2017.”
British Council director Amir Ramzan said: “It’s inspiring to hear how alumni are using their UK education experience to make a positive difference to their professions, communities and countries around the world. In Saudi we had around 140 applications and selecting the finalists was difficult: They are a small representative of so many outstanding alumni doing amazing things, and they all deserve to be celebrated. These alumni are a credit to their universities and will serve as an inspiration to the next generation of international students.”
Entries to the Alumni Awards 2017 were judged by a panel of experts appointed by the British Embassy and British Council in the applicant’s country of entry, along with Education UK Alumni Award winners from 2016.
Similar awards events are also being held in countries including the United States, India, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and Malaysia.

Source: Arab News