Dr. May Alobaidy, the first Saudi woman to be appointed an adviser to a minister

Dr. May Alobaidy

• Alobaidy is a Harvard alumnus and a UK graduate with a Ph.D. in business management and health care administration

Dr. May Alobaidy is the first Saudi woman to be appointed an adviser to a minister. Over the years, she has worked as a senior adviser to three ministers in addition to her role as CEO of the Strategic and International Partnerships and Initiatives Center, which she established at the Ministry of Higher Education.
Alobaidy is a highly regarded expert with a plethora of international and local experience in strategies, management and leadership. Throughout her career, she worked in various leadership strategic roles and executive positions in many ministries and nongovernment organizations. She was appointed as adviser to vice ministers and governors where she provided consultations on many pivotal issues and projects.
Alobaidy is a co-founder of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) in the Kingdom, where she was appointed vice governor of planning and development.
She also served as the deputy governor for external relations and international cooperation and deputy governor for research and development, where she established both sectors, besides her role as the executive director of the female sector at ETEC.
Over the years, she collaborated and worked on several high-level projects and initiatives with various international organizations and universities such as the UNESCO, WHO, UNDP, UNICEF, World Bank, the OECD, and Harvard University.
Alobaidy is a Harvard alumnus and a UK graduate with a Ph.D. in business management and health care administration. She received a master’s degree from the US and obtained a second master’s degree from France in management and strategic planning.
Dr. Alobaidy is an expert strategist with a professional history in strategic planning, policies, research and development, education, and health care management. She served at many advisory boards and is a member of many committees including the G20. Her Twitter handle is @mayalobaidy.