Rhodes Scholars in the UAE

Co-Chair

Hoor Alnuaimi is an emerging writer and scholar. She completed her graduate studies in world literature studies, global governance, and international development at the University of Oxford. She is passionate about challenging and reframing existing hierarchies in political and literary discourses that limit our understanding of the world, where her research as a critical scholar at Oxford came to position Emirati Bedouin women’s Nabati poetry against limited spatial imaginations of the ‘world’ of ‘World Literature’. She is also a UAE BRICS Youth Delegate and a Barbican Young Poet, and is currently based in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., where she specializes in the field of development. Hoor remains an active Rhodes community member, serving on the UAE Rhodes Selection Committee, and mentoring the next generation of UAE Rhodes Scholars.

Co-Chair

Sara Fekri is a Rhodes Scholar with a background in physics and computational science. At Oxford, she completed the MSc in Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, where her research focused on computational approaches to quantum systems.

Her work and interests span research, technology, strategy, and policy, with a particular interest in how these fields come together to shape institutions, systems, and the UAE’s future. She is passionate about expanding opportunities for young people in STEM and contributing to a more ambitious and connected research culture in the UAE. Sara remains actively involved in the Rhodes community as a Rhodes UAE Outreach Ambassador, supporting prospective applicants and widening awareness of the Scholarship, and as Co-Chair of the UAE Rhodes Scholars Alumni Association.

Committee Member

Maitha AlMemari is a Rhodes Scholar and public servant based in Abu Dhabi. She holds an MSc in Comparative and International Education and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Oxford, and currently works at the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, where she focuses on strategy, public policy, and cross-government priorities.

Maitha cares deeply about building and nurturing communities, particularly within the Rhodes network. She is passionate about education, human development, and the future of government, and is driven by a genuine love of public service and contributing to the UAE’s future.

Committee Member

Majida Al Maktoum is a Rhodes Scholar and public policy professional based in Dubai. She currently works at The Executive Council of Dubai, where she focuses on social development and public policy. She holds an MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy from the University of Oxford and a BA in Political Science from New York University Abu Dhabi, with a minor in Social Research and Public Policy.

Her work is particularly centred on strengthening the wellbeing of families and children, with experience spanning family policy, child wellbeing and protection, education, and community development. Majida is passionate about translating policy into meaningful improvements in people’s everyday lives and creating systems that enable children and families to thrive. She is particularly interested in the future of social development in the UAE and in contributing to a more cohesive, resilient, and family-centred society.

Committee Member

Dr Mohammad Alsharid is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi. His research develops AI that analyses medical images, particularly ultrasound, and his work has been published in journals including Nature Biomedical Engineering. For his DPhil in Engineering Science at Oxford, completed in 2022, he developed AI models that describe fetal ultrasound scans in words. He then remained at Oxford as a Visiting Fellow before returning to the UAE in 2024. Beyond his research, he was selected for the AI track of the UAE National Experts Program, and before Oxford, he represented the UAE three times as a Youth Ambassador to South Korea. He has been an active member of the Rhodes community, serving on the UAE selection committee, as an outreach ambassador for the Scholarship, and as a pod facilitator at the Character, Service, and Leadership retreats for first- and second-year Scholars.

Committee Member

Sara Alnajjar has long been interested in how justice systems operate within the broader structures that govern societies. She studied criminology and criminal justice alongside global governance and diplomacy, with a particular interest in criminal justice policy and its intersection with global governance. Her research at Oxford initially focused on labour justice reform in the UAE, examining the relationship between legal frameworks, institutional structures, and the lived experience of justice. During her second year, her research expanded into digital signalling, exploring how communication, technology, and digital spaces intersect with contemporary forms of governance. Today, Sara is based in Dubai, UAE, where she works in the justice policy sector, continuing to explore the relationship between justice, institutions, and policymaking.