2023 KGSP Qimam Fellows
7/27/2023
Seven KGSP students were accepted into the 2023 Qimam Fellowship program, founded by McKinsey & Company and Saudi Arabia’s Dr. Annas Abedin with the purpose of supporting “the most promising and distinguished university students in and from Saudi Arabia to achieve their full potential.” Over the course of a 12-day period in July, fellows will benefit from individual mentorship with senior leaders throughout the public and private sector, leadership training, site visits to leading companies, as well as extensive networking and career support.
The Qimam Fellowship is one of many enrichment opportunities KGSP students engage in every summer as they embark on academic and professional development journeys. Through the program’s leadership trainings, fellows receive guidance from industry executives and participate in workshops on how to build successful professional careers. Participants also engage with mentors who provide personalized input on the students’ career plans and build connections with fellow peers and executives. Finally, fellows are taken on field visits to leading companies in Saudi Arabia like Cisco, General Electric, and many others, where they get a first-hand look on how these companies operate and gain perspectives on possible career paths.
Lamar Alsubhi is a sophomore at Boston University majoring in Computer Science, and a 2023 fellow. She learned about the fellowship program from previous KGSP fellows, and the networking opportunities influenced her decision to apply. “I’m looking forward to meeting my fellow Qimamis, and joining the large network of Qimam alumni,” Lamar said. “I’m hoping to learn how some big companies in Saudi [Arabia] function on the inside through the Qimam company visits. Just seeing the work environment and structure of companies in various different fields will give me a better understanding of how the world around me works.”
This year’s KGSP students are among the 250 students selected to the fellowship since its inception and have proven their distinction among the 80,000 applications submitted to the program. The KGSP would like to commend them on such an incredible accomplishment and looks forward to their growth and development.
Ali Abduldhaher A Algain – Sophomore, University of California, Berkely, Molecular and Cell Biology
Fatimah Hassan A Almuallim – Freshman, University of Rochester, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Jude Tareef Y Alaama – Sophomore, Columbia University, Earth and Environmental Engineering
Lamar Mohammed A Alsubhi – Sophomore, Boston University, Computer Science
Maryam Abdulla Al Jaroudi – Freshman, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Chemical Engineering
Mohammed Sadiq M Alsaad – Freshman, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Computer Science
Yara Omar A Bawazir – Freshman, University of California, Berkeley, Applied Physics
STUDENT PROFILE
KGSP students represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s future scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and thought-leaders. As both individuals and as a community, they reflect the KAUST mission of driving scientific discovery through excellence in education and cutting-edge research, and share a commitment to fostering innovation, economic development, and social prosperity throughout the Kingdom and the world.
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
Selection to the KGSP is extremely competitive, and currently by invitation only. Successful applicants are Saudi Arabian students in their final year of high school who demonstrate impressive academic credentials within STEM fields, meaningful extra-curricular achievements, and who share the KAUST ethos of continuous discovery. Learn more here.
KGSP ADMINISTRATION
The KGSP is administered by the Office of Strategic National Advancement at KAUST, under the direction of Vice President & Senior Associate to the President, Dr. Najah Ashry. Strategic National Advancement directs the university's strategy to serve Saudi Arabia's transformational priorities: Through initiatives in young talent and Saudi workforce development, social responsibility, and national engagement, the Office contributes to a thriving innovation ecosystem by building knowledge capacity, creating opportunities, and strengthening impact.
—King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud
1924 – 2015