RIYADH: Dr. Hanan bint Abdulrahim Al-Ahmadi was awarded the International Award for Exceptional Achievement during the Tulane Alumni Awards Gala, hosted by Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine on April 9. Al-Ahmadi, an academic who specializes in economics and health management and who also serves as the assistant speaker of the Saudi Shura Council, was honored for the contributions of her legacy of excellence at Tulane University. FAST FACT Dr. Hanan bint Al-Ahmadi, an academic was honored for the contributions of her legacy of excellence at Tulane University. She posted on her LinkedIn account: “It is a great honor to be selected among Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine’s distinguished alumni, and to be awarded Tulane’s International Achievement Award.” The award is given to alumni who represent the highest standards of excellence and community service locally and internationally. During her acceptance speech, Al-Ahmadi said that the scholarships to study abroad provided by Saudi Arabia are pillars of educational strategy in contributing to distinguishing the Kingdom as a global educational institution. She also highlighted that more than 50,000 Saudi students study at universities in the US. Al-Ahmadi praised the launch of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s strategy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program, that will empower students and give them access to enroll in the most elite international educational institutions worldwide. The scholarships empower students to bring their knowledge and expertise to lead major development projects that are taking place in the Kingdom. Al-Ahmadi said the Kingdom has gone through many changes in the past few years, highlighting the launch of Vision 2030 and its initiatives. She said Vision 2030 serves as an engine for change at social, cultural, and economic levels, and has contributed to empowering women in society and enhancing their participation in various fields. Al-Ahmadi highlighted that all this is due to the great investment in women’s education in Saudi Arabia. She emphasized that the leadership’s support of Saudi women contributed to elevating her to international and regional forums, and representing the Kingdom abroad. Concluding her speech, Al-Ahmadi thanked the board of Tulane University and congratulated her fellow winners in various other categories. Two other doctors, Dr. Neil Meltzer and Dr. Joseph Kanter, were also honored for different achievements alongside Al-Ahmadi.