RIYADH: The British Embassy and the British Council in Saudi Arabia on Monday announced the nine finalists of the 2017-18 Study UK National Alumni Awards, selected from more than 120 applicants in the Kingdom. Five of those shortlisted are women. The Study UK Alumni Awards were established in 2014 and celebrate the achievements of those who graduated from UK-based higher education institutions and went on to make outstanding contributions in various fields. According to an official from the British Council, more than 10,000 Saudi nationals currently study in the United Kingdom and they are mostly concentrated in London and Manchester. The most popular specialties for Saudi students are computer science, business studies and management studies, he said. For the first time, the winners of the Saudi National awards will be eligible for the Regional UK Alumni Awards, and — if successful there — the Global awards. The nine finalists are split into three categories: Professional Achievement, Entrepreneurial, and Social Impact. In the first category, the finalists are: Dr. Aysha Alsalih (Ph.D., Management studies/Accounting, Finance, economics from Royal Holloway, University of London), Dr. Naif Alharbi (Ph.D. Clinical Medicine (Vaccinology) from the University of Oxford), and Prof. Turki Althubaiti, Ta’if (Ph.D., English Literature from the University of Essex). The finalists for the Entrepreneurial Award are: Dr. Sakher Alqahtani (Ph.D., Clinical Pediatric Dentistry), Ghada Ghaznawi (MSc, Financial Management from Manchester Metropolitan University), and Dr. Abdallah Adlan (Ph.D., Biomedical Ethics from the University of Birmingham). The Social Impact Award finalists are: Dr. Nahla Samargandi (Doctor of Philosophy from Brunel University), Dr. Nouf Alnumair (Ph.D., Structural and Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics from University College London), and Dr. Roa Altaweli (Ph.D., Midwifery from City University London). “I am delighted that we are (running) the Study UK Alumni Awards in Saudi Arabia again for 2018,” said British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Simon Collis. “This award honors the achievements of outstanding Saudi women and men who studied at British universities, and are now using their UK education to make a positive impact toward realizing their nation’s vision.” Awards ceremonies will be held in Riyadh, Jeddah and Alkhobar. Amir Ramzan, country director at the British Council in Saudi Arabia, said: “UK alumni from Saudi Arabia have continued to amaze in the third year of applications for the Saudi UK Alumni Awards. Their stories, passion and drive show how much the UK and Saudi can achieve when we work together. I’m also pleased to see there are more female finalists this year.