FaceOf: Dr. Malak Malak Abed Al-Thagafi, Saudi scientist and medical director

Dr. Malak Abed Al-Thagafi is a scientist with expertise in diverse medical domains.
Updated 25 September 2018
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FaceOf: Dr. Malak Malak Abed Al-Thagafi, Saudi scientist and medical director

JEDDAH: Dr. Malak Abed Al-Thagafi is a renowned Saudi scientist with expertise in diverse medical domains including anatomical and clinical pathology, molecular genetics pathology, neuropathology, surgical pathology and hematopathology.

She is a medical director at King Faisal Specialist Hospital International Holding Company and has been chair of the Genomics Research Department at King Fahd Medical City (KFMC) in Riyadh since 2017. 

Previously, she worked for four years as a consultant in molecular genetics and neuropathology at KFMC until September 2018. 

Moreover, Malak Abed Al-Thagafi has been an assistant research professor at King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology in Riyadh since February 2016. 

She earned several fellowships at the University of California, San Francisco, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. She has also written and published various reference papers in leading scientific journals. She was appointed lecturer at Harvard University’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. However, in 2014 Abedalthagafi decided to return to Saudi Arabia upon the announcement of the Saudi Genome Project. 

She graduated from King Abdul Aziz University and then pursued her postgraduate studies at Harvard, Georgetown, and Stanford Universities. She is specialized in neurology, anatomy, clinical and molecular genetics. 

She also obtained a master’s degree in business and medical management from Johns Hopkins University in 2010.   She was chosen by The Pathologist magazine for its list of the 100 most powerful advocates of pathology. 


Children’s Theater Festival opens in Qassim region

Updated 27 January 2026
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Children’s Theater Festival opens in Qassim region

  • To develop future ‘cultural architects,’ says CEO Khaled Al-Baz
  • ‘Nurture creativity, aesthetic awareness and sense of belonging’

BURAIDAH: The Qassim Children’s Theater Festival opened on Tuesday bringing together professionals from across Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.

The event is being held under the patronage of Prince Dr. Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, governor of Qassim, at the Science Center in Unaizah governorate.

It has been Organized by the Theater and Performing Arts Association and executed by the Unaizah Theater Association, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Running until Jan. 31, it features shows, panel discussions, as well as training workshops to develop children’s theater and strengthen professional skills in the field.

Khaled Al-Baz, CEO of the Theater and Performing Arts Association, told the SPA the festival forms part of a broader strategy to position children’s theater as a distinct cultural sector.

“Children today constitute genuine audiences — tomorrow’s cultural architects,” Al-Baz said.

Ahmed Al-Humaimidi, president of the Unaizah Theater Association, said it was an investment in young people, noting that it extends beyond performances to include cultural and educational programming.

He said the initiative aims to nurture creativity, aesthetic awareness and a sense of belonging, while also identifying emerging talent and encouraging knowledge exchange among theater practitioners.

“Our association recognizes children’s theater as foundational to cultivating aware, creative character,” he said.

The festival serves as both an artistic showcase and a platform for professional dialogue, reflecting the Kingdom’s expanding cultural landscape and growing focus on children’s theater as an educational and cultural tool, the SPA noted.

This occurs alongside support for signature initiatives and performing arts promotion as quality-of-life enhancement.