Dr. Haifa Jamal Al-Lail is president of Jeddah’s Effat University, which recently hit the headlines for organizing a student film festival.
The four-day event brought together passionate students of the university, as well as film industry figures from inside and outside Saudi Arabia.
“We began working in this area six years ago and made efforts at the highest standards in order to become pioneers in teaching filmmaking in the Kingdom. We thank God that our efforts have been productive and that Saudi society has reacted positively to Saudi filmmaking,” said Al-Lail.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from King Abdul Aziz University, a master’s in public administration from the University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. in public policy from the same US university.
Before joining Effat University in 1998, she served as the first dean of the girls’ campus at King Abdul Aziz University.
Al-Lail is a respected academic and renowned advocate of youth engagement. She has written articles and delivered keynote speeches on women’s education in the Middle East.
She has received many awards, including the Innovation Award, Saudi Sayidaty, Queen Effat’s Distinction Award, Leading Woman CEO, the Distinguished Arab Woman Award, the World Family Summit Award and the Distinguished Arabian Woman Award.
