First Qatari woman to be an SOS finalist wants more women to come forward with their ideas

Iman Al-Hamad’s dream is to make her mark in the world of technology. She wants to innovate and offer solutions to real-world challenges that face societies today. And her passion for innovation and technology is so strong that it propelled her in becoming the first Qatari woman to reach last season’s final of Stars of Science – an edutainment show by Qatar Foundation (QF).

“My tech-savvy tendencies have existed since I was a little girl, but they took a deeper turn when I majored in computer engineering in my undergraduate studies. And then I went on to complete my Master’s in Information Security,” Al-Hamad, alumna of season 12 of Stars of Science (SOS), said. Al-Hamad had reached the finale of SOS with her invention – an Arabic Conversation Fraud Detection program – a program that acts as a platform for real-time exposure of phone fraud through voice recognition and a voice-to-text transcription.

The decision to apply to SOS was not an easy one for Al-Hamad. It was her confidence in her abilities and belief in the idea behind her innovation that motivated her to apply to the show. 

“I was looking to turn my idea into reality. This motivated me to apply to Stars of Science. The encouragement of my family, friends and well-wishers played a huge role in my decision to apply as well. I lived a successful experience that will have a profound impact on my scientific future. And if I had to do it all over again, I would,” Al-Hamad said.

As the first Qatari woman to reach the finals of the TV show, she says it was a great honor to represent Qatari women in the finals of such a show. “I am grateful for the support that the Qatari and the Arab community have shown me.”

She is also proud that an innovative program such as SOS was launched by her country – Qatar – noting that as an initiative of QF, it reflects the interest of the organization, which is to invest in young minds from all Arab countries.

“The future of countries all over the world are in the hands of young men and women. SOS contributes to promoting innovation among young people and motivating them to devise solutions to the challenges facing our world in several fields such as technology and medicine, among others,” Al-Hamad said.

Her innovation – the Arabic Conversation Fraud Detection program – which reached the finals of the show, won many local and international awards.

“The application won a silver medal at the Geneva Invention Fair, which is one of the most prominent exhibitions in the world. There, I received a medal for the Best Qatari Inventor in the fourth edition of Najah Qatari. The International Federation of Inventors’ Unions also awarded me the title of Inventor, among other achievements. Now I seek to further develop my application to officially get the patent as a step to launch it in the market,” she added.

Al-Hamad's ambition does not stop with the application of information privacy in Arabic that she created, but she aspires to improve remote education techniques and contribute to finding solutions to the challenges facing this type of education.

Furthermore, Al-Hamad has established an initiative to support young people in discovering their innovative potential.

“Innovation is not limited to a particular category, any individual can innovate if given the correct guidance. Therefore, this initiative targets young people who have innovative ideas, and need support and guidance on how to turn their ideas into reality, or those who are looking to engage in innovation,” she explained.

Al-Hamad underlined her keenness to follow the new season of SOS that is currently airing, enjoying the ideas presented by the innovative youth. “I am excited about the new season of the show, especially that I joined the show during the casting phase to share my experiences and memories with the new applicants,” she said.

“This unique experience is part of the lifelong learning journey encouraged by QF, and my advice to the participants of Season 13 is to enjoy every moment and gain experiences that will benefit them in their future.”

Al-Hamad also advises every woman – who has an idea that deserves to see the light of day – to never hesitate to come forward, and to have the courage to turn it into reality by joining SOS to gain invaluable experience and knowledge.

Stars of Science Season 13 airs from September 10, 2021 to October 22, 2021, online and on six channels in the region. For a full broadcast guide to Stars of Science Season 13, please visit www.starsofscience.com . And to apply to be on Stars of Science Season 14 and give yourself a chance of earning the title of the Arab world’s top innovator, visit www.starsofscience.info