Seven of the 15 innovators are women DUBAI: MIT Technology Review Arabia, part of Majarra, has announced the winners of the Innovators Under 35 MENA Awards, which aims to honor innovators who have made notable contributions in their fields. This year’s participants come from varied backgrounds including technology, biotechnology, computer science, programming, medicine, energy, environment, etc. The jury panel comprised 13 independent technology experts, entrepreneurs, and academics affiliated with think tanks, technology companies, and universities around the world. This year, the judges chose 15 innovators of which seven were female and eight were male. Some of the notable women on this year’s list include Jordanian postdoctoral researcher at Northeastern University Hadeel Elayan; Saudi postdoctoral fellow at MIT Walaa Khushaim; and Lebanese research assistant at the American University of Beirut Hoda Farahat. The majority (40 percent) of the winners are from the UAE, followed by the US and Saudi Arabia, as well as other MENA countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, and Sudan. The award, which was launched in the MENA in 2018, is the regional version of a global awards scheme launched by MIT Technology Review in 1999.