Selwa Al-Hazzaa (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

: سلوى الهزّاع) is a Saudi ophthalmologist and head of the ophthalmology department at

King Faisal Specialist Hospital The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre ( ar, مستشفى الملك فيصل التخصصي ومركز الأبحاث) (KFSH&RC) is tertiary referral hospital in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. Overview As a tertiary ...

. She served as the personal ophthalmologist for the late King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. She is one of the first Saudi women to achieve international success academically and professionally. On January 11, 2013, per a Royal Decree from King Abdullah, Al-Hazzaa became one of the first ever female members of the Saudi Arabia Shoura Council.

Education and professional life

At a young age she moved with her family from

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the ...

, to

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

. She studied at

Tucson High School Tucson High Magnet School , commonly referred to as THMS, THS, or Tucson High, is a public high school in Tucson, Arizona. It is part of the Tucson Unified School District with magnet programs in Technology, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts. Th ...

, then moved back with her family to

to complete high school studies. She later enrolled at

King Saud University King Saud University (KSU, ar, جامعة الملك سعود) is a public university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Established in 1957 by King Saud bin Abdulaziz to address the country's skilled worker shortage, it is the first university in the K ...

to study medicine. At the time she finished medical school, ophthalmology was the only accredited residency program in Saudi Arabia, so that is what she studied. After completing her residency, she began to work at

, and was also visiting professor at Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine from 2003 to 2009. She has authored and co-authored many research papers, as well as a chapter on genetically inherited eye diseases in Saudi Arabia, which was the first contribution by a Saudi to the Duane Ophthalmology Medical Reference Series. In 1997, she became the first female department head in King Faisal Specialist Hospital, as she became the head of the ophthalmology department. She has also served on the Executive Council of the

International Council of Ophthalmology The International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) is an international organisation that represents professional associations of ophthalmologists. It is headquartered in Brussels. The Board of Trustees is the executive body and operational arm of ...

Public life

In 2004 Saudi Arabia’s (then all-male) Shoura Council appointed three women as advisors for the first time, of whom Al-Hazzaa was one. In 2013 a decree from King Abdullah required Saudi Arabia to include women as members of the Shoura Council for the first time. Dr. Al-Hazaa was chosen, making her the first ophthalmologist to serve on the legislative body. Between 2004 and 2008 she also served for a time as Chair of Board of Friends of Saudi Arabia, an advocacy organisation based in the United States which was close to the Saudi regime.

References

External links

Interview with Professor Salwa Al-Hazzaa on MBCProfile on Saudi Woman Weblog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hazzaa, Selwa Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Selwa Selwa Saudi Arabian Muslims Johns Hopkins University alumni Saudi Arabian women medical doctors Saudi Arabian ophthalmologists King Saud University alumni Saudi Arabian expatriates in the United States Tucson High School alumni