“One conversation with Misk Fellowship about a problem I faced in Tamara was enough to fill my inbox with more than 600 emails. Each email included a solution that exceeded my expectations!”
-Misk fellow Abdulmohsen Albabtain relating his positive experience with other Misk fellows
Abdulmohsen Albabtain is just one of many Misk fellows who thrived after completing the program. He’s now the Co-Founder of Tamara, a digital payments app that enables users to pay after 30 days to avoid cash payment problems.
Joining the Misk Fellowship at the beginning of his business journey, Abdulmohsen was readily prepared for the challenges that lay ahead thanks to its enrichment programs. He was inspired to follow his dream and continued his ambition to search for success.
Abdulmohsen also benefited from the incredible network Misk provides to fellows. The network is comprised of a connected group of inspired Saudis who are poised to become the industry leaders of tomorrow.
Notable Misk fellows share their stand out Misk experiences
The inspiring Misk fellow community has led to many Saudis contributing to a variety of industries around the world. From humanitarian efforts to Virtual Reality specialists, the success stories are endless.
Here are just a handful of the notable fellows to watch:
Mariam Khayat is an award-winning filmmaker and a graduate from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts with a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Animation and Digital Arts, who has thoroughly enjoyed connecting with like-minded individuals through Misk.
“This is a lifelong network that offers a chance for interdisciplinary collaborations curated towards a brighter Saudi Arabia.”
We've asked her to describe her experience with the Misk Fellowship program:
The Misk Fellowships program has presented me with a variety of opportunities. What I found most invaluable was the network of highly talented Misk fellows who attended other competitive universities and focused on a diversity of interests and majors, while we shared a common passion to give back to our country. This is a lifelong network that offers a chance for interdisciplinary collaborations curated towards a brighter Saudi Arabia.
How has Misk helped you achieve your goals?
Throughout my time at school, Misk provided us with one-on-one sessions with professional mentors and coaches to guide us throughout our journeys at graduate school and prepare us for successful careers post-graduation.
Which experience stands out during your time as a Misk fellow?
Personally, I found that meeting the talented Misk fellows in Houston, Texas for the long weekend was the most memorable experience.
It was very beautiful and exciting to be connecting with like-minded people and sharing our visions for Saudi Arabia’s future through the Misk Fellowship Competition Dream Neom. The leadership and management workshops that accompanied that competition were very effective as well.
Salma had her eyes on the Misk Fellowship program for many years, applying the day she was accepted to Imperial College London. For Salma, she says the Fellowship opened her to a world of opportunities and helped navigate her professional development needs.
“For me, Misk has been a bridge that took me far away closer to my goals."
We've asked her to describe her experience with the Misk Fellowship program:
Since the start of the Misk Fellowship program, I had the intention to be part of it. I was waiting for the right time and that’s when I got accepted at Imperial College London, one of the top ten universities around the world, to attain my Master’s degree in cardiovascular and respiratory healthcare. Then, I decided to apply for the Misk Fellowship. For me, Misk has been a bridge that took me far away closer to my goals.
How has Misk helped you achieve your goals?
Misk Fellowship has opened a wide door of opportunities for us and helped us to navigate our professional development needs. An enormous number of webinars and online talks have enriched my awareness of how I can invest my skills and abilities, to become a future leader and participate in achieving the vision of 2030. Having several meetings on a ministerial level has increased my sense of responsibility as a possible future leader. My focus is on providing the best healthcare practices, and to witness Saudi Arabia become a global leader in healthcare and medical research.
Which experience stands out during your time as a Misk fellow?
Within my first year with Misk, I participated in The Misk Fellowship Competition SDGs Challenges. This 7-week experience advanced my skills, including tackling challenges during the year in which we were facing a huge challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Working with a team from many backgrounds taught me that no matter how different we were, when we focus on one goal, we can achieve it.
Being a winner gave me the chance to work with the Deputyship for Sustainable Development Affairs, MEP, particularly on the 3rd goal, good health, and well-being. This experience enhanced my understanding of how to analyze and implement healthcare sustainability goals and indicators.
Raghah Alghonaim is a graduate with Distinction from Imperial College London, who has since become a Senior Data Scientist, joining Mozn, one of the leading startups in Artificial Intelligence in The Kingdom.
“I do believe that having surrounded myself with such high achievers helped me in becoming a better version of myself.”
We've asked her to describe her experience with the Misk Fellowship program:
The experience was unique by all means. Getting the chance to chat with people studying at top universities and working at top firms was a game-changer. I strongly believe in the quote that says "You're the average of the five people you spend the most time with." I do believe that having surrounded myself with such high achievers helped me become a better version of myself.
What are your recent achievements?
I got my MSc thesis accepted to be presented at one of the top-tier conferences in Robotics, ICRA. In addition to graduating with Distinction from Imperial College London, I also joined one of the leading startups in AI and ML in the Kingdom as a Senior Data Scientist.
With a Master’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) under his belt and currently in a leadership role in a high-tech industry, Amr Taiyeb praises the Misk Fellowship for providing him clarity in both his personal and professional goals.
“We also had multiple chances to meet influential Saudi leaders to learn from their success and hear their advice about leading one's career.”
Describe your experience with the Misk Fellowship program.
My experience with the Misk Fellowship has been quite exciting! It started in late 2019 with an intense multi-day boot camp, where I got to meet some of the most interesting young Saudis from a diverse set of backgrounds. I'm glad that my engagements with Misk continued from then onwards, as I had the pleasure of participating in many enrichment and volunteering opportunities since.
How has Misk helped you achieve your goals?
When I joined the Fellowship, I had just been accepted into MIT as a Masters student and was looking for a career change post-graduation. Misk arranged one-to-one coaching sessions that added much-needed clarity to my personal and professional goals.
Through the rich network of current and past fellows, I met many wonderful students and professionals who helped me explore other industries by sharing insider tips and insights. We also had multiple chances to meet influential Saudi leaders to learn from their success and hear their advice about leading one's career. Aside from professional growth, I've always felt that I can do more to give back and support my community. Now I regularly volunteer with Misk as an interviewer for their Human Capital Development programs, and will hopefully start participating soon as a youth mentor to help pave the way to the coming generation.
Which experience stands out during your time as a Misk fellow?
I would definitely say the second Misk Fellowship competition. I was amazed at how Misk managed to extract the most value out of this competition, despite it being held 100% virtually due to the unfortunate circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. My team and I collaborated for two months on creating a solution that supports a sustainability-related cause. It was a great learning experience, and the finals proved that none of the participating teams spared any effort while working on their individual projects.
Join Misk Fellowship
The Misk Foundation encourages young Saudis in their learnings and leadership through education, technology, culture and arts, and entrepreneurship. The Fellowship is one step in the journey created by Misk to foster and empower passionate individuals and create a healthy environment for talents to grow and prosper. The continued success is evident by the notable achievements of the fellows themselves.
