RIYADH: The winners of the Study UK Alumni Awards 2021-22 in Saudi Arabia were announced on Wednesday night at a ceremony hosted by the UK Ambassador to Riyadh Neil Crompton. Saudi alumni of UK universities from Jeddah, Dammam, Jubail, Alkhobar and Al-Majmaah were recognized for their outstanding achievements as business professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders, and for their contribution to strengthening ties between the Kingdom and the UK. The ceremony was organized by the British Embassy and British Council in Riyadh and attended by senior representatives in government and UK alumni. The award judging panel selected recipients for the four award categories: the Science and Sustainability Award, the Culture and Creativity Award, the Social Action Award and the Business and Innovation Award. The Science and Sustainability award was presented to Maha Al-Muzaini, a graduate of Imperial College London. The Culture and Creativity award was presented to Faisal Al-Homoud, a graduate of Nottingham University. The Social Action award was presented to Monira Alsubaie, a graduate of University College London, and the Business and Innovation award was presented to Ahmed Al-Harbi, a graduate of Imperial College London. The prestigious international award celebrates UK higher education and the achievements of UK alumni around the world. Now in its eighth year, the award received more than 1,500 applications from international UK alumni in more than 100 countries, representing more than 140 higher education institutions across the UK. Speaking on the occasion, the British ambassador said: “I am delighted to host this year’s Study UK Alumni Award ceremony. We are immensely proud of our alumni, who have built on their education to become leaders in different fields and champions of social change, in turn enriching the lives of those around them.” He added: “The UK and Saudi Arabia share a strong and modern partnership. We consider the alumni of British universities to be ambassadors for both countries and testament to our strong people-to-people links. My congratulations to all our finalists and winners.” Eilidh Kennedy McLean, country director at the British Council in Saudi Arabia, said: “The remarkable individuals we celebrated today have all taken their UK education as a starting point to excel in their chosen careers and shape the world around them. “This year’s awards ceremony is testimony not only to the diversity of UK alumni and their endeavors, but also to the transformative impact of a UK education — with more than 100,000 UK graduates, there’s a lot to celebrate with!”