Saudi Arabian woman researcher Hayat Sindi to be appointed UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador

The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today nominated Saudi Arabian researcher Hayat Sindi as a Goodwill Ambassador for the Organization.

Born in 1967 in Mecca (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Dr Hayat Sindi has made major contributions to point-of-care diagnostics, medical testing at or near the site of patient care, specifically designed for the vast number of people who do not have access to hospitals and medical facilities. She made this contribution through the invention of a biochemical sensor with thermo elastic probes and her development of the Magnetic Acoustic Resonance Sensor (MARS).



Ms Sindi’s nomination as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador comes “in recognition of her work to create an ecosystem of entrepreneurship and social innovation for scientists, technologists and engineers in the Middle East and beyond, her efforts to bring the youth closer to innovators and her dedication to the ideals and aims of the Organization.”



In her capacity as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Ms Sindi will support science education, especially inspiring more girls to enrol in science subjects; building ecosystems for entrepreneurship for science students leaving university; research in science, particularly in the life sciences in the Gulf region; and the visibility of UNESCO’s natural sciences programmes, particularly those pertaining to life science education. Moreover, she will help mobilize funds through her professional network to support UNESCO’s priority activities.



As a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Ms Sindi will join the ranks of outstanding celebrity advocates who spread the ideals of UNESCO through their name and fame. They extend and amplify UNESCO’s work and mission and generously use their talent and status to help focus the world’s attention on UNESCO’s work.