Ms.Khadija Mohamed Sulaiman Al Sulaimi
United Arab Emirates
Ms.Khadija Mohamed Sulaiman Al Sulaimi
United Arab Emirates
Chairman- ENA Midwifery Society, Director, Nursing Department, Latifa Women & Children Hospital, United Arab Emirates
Khadija Al Sulaimi is a highly accomplished nursing professional with a wealth of experience in midwifery and health management. With a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery, a Master of Science in International Health Management, and certifications as a Registered Nurse and Certified Midwife, she has dedicated the past 13 years to serving as a national midwife in Dubai. Khadija's leadership extends to her role as Chairperson of the National Midwifery Society, where she advocates for the advancement of the profession and healthcare services in the UAE. She actively contributes to establishing hospital strategies related to nursing, midwifery, and health service plans, ensuring organizational objectives are met. Her dedication to excellence has earned her numerous accolades, including the Best Nurse Award in 2005 and the Dubai Tourism Award in 2019. Khadija's vision is to continue leveraging her expertise to further enhance healthcare outcomes for women and communities in her country. She had achieved various awards with her excellence and dedication in the field including the Best Nurse Award in 2005 and Dubai Tourism Award in 2019.Dr. Maeve O’ Connel
United Arab Emirates
Dr. Maeve O’ Connel
United Arab Emirates
Assistant Professor of Midwifery, Fatima College of Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates
Dr Maeve O’ Connel is an Assistant Professor of Midwifery at Fatima College of Health Sciences (FCHS) in Abu Dhabi, where she co-leads the development and teaching of the first CAA accredited Bachelor Midwifery degree program in the UAE. She has been in this role since 2021, after working as a registered midwife and nurse for 20 years with experience working in Ireland, Bahrain and the UK. She holds a PhD in Medicine and Health from University College Cork and a Master's in Advanced Practice from King's College London. She is also a Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at RCSI, a prestigious honor that recognizes her exceptional contribution to the field. Maeve's research interests include intrapartum care, fear of childbirth (tocophobia), and perinatal mental health. She has published multiple articles, book chapters, and a Cochrane Review on these topics, and has presented her findings at international conferences. She is an Associate Editor for Women and Birth Journal and a peer reviewer for many journals. She is passionate about promoting midwifery and maternal and newborn health and has a strong presence on social media as a nurse and midwife. She aims to advance the evidence- based practice, leadership, and education of midwifery in the UAE and beyond.Ms.Karradene Aird
United Arab Emirates
Ms.Karradene Aird
United Arab Emirates
Senior Midwifery Instructor, Fatima College of Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates
Karradene is a highly skilled healthcare professional with extensive experience in strategic and clinical leadership, committed to patient safety and high-quality care. With over ten years in clinical and seven years in management roles, she has led maternity services in the UK and UAE, focusing on midwifery-led care. Before joining Fatima College of Health Sciences, Karradene served as Chief Midwifery and Nursing Officer at Burjeel Farha, overseeing strategy, operations, workforce productivity, governance, and midwifery practice development. She holds a DHA midwifery license and maintained clinical practice in fetal medicine, participating in the UAE's first in-utero spina bifida surgery. Karradene has an MSc in Advanced Midwifery Practice, specializing in high dependency care and fetal monitoring. She developed education and training programs for midwives and doctors and was a peer reviewer for an International Fetal Monitoring Guideline. Karradene advocates for diversity, equity, inclusivity, and compassion in professional and community engagements.Dr. Georgina Sosa
United Arab Emirates
Dr. Georgina Sosa
United Arab Emirates
Midwifery Expertise, Assistant Professor of Midwifery, Fatima College of Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates
Georgina Sosa is an Assistant Professor at Fatima College of Health Sciences in Abu Dhabi. She has started the only Midwifery BSc program in the UAE with Dr Maeve O’Connell. Georgina Sosa is chair of a subgroup of the National Committee of Nursing and Midwifery Affairs who have written a scope of Midwifery practice and also a vice chair, writing standards for advanced midwifery practice. In addition Georgina Sosa is a Commission of Academic Accreditation (CAA) Certified Reviewer. Georgina Sosa has been a midwife for 28 years and trained and worked at the Whittington Hospital in London. Georgina Sosa has worked as a clinical midwife, clinical manager and governance midwife and completed a PhD exploring midwifery one-to-one support in labour within midwife-led birth environments. Georgina Sosa has worked in all areas of midwifery, but she has a particular passion for enhancing normal physiological processes in labour.Dr. Summia Zaher
United Arab Emirates
Dr. Summia Zaher
United Arab Emirates
Medical Director/Consultant Obstetrician, Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children, United Arab Emirates
Dr. Summia Zaher stands as a distinguished authority in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, celebrated for her profound expertise, unwavering dedication, and fervent commitment to healthcare advancement. With an illustrious academic journey and over a decade of professional experience, She has left an indelible mark on women's health and medical education. Currently serving as the Medical Director at Danat El Emarat and a Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Dr. Zaher's scope of practice encompasses a wide array of high-risk antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care. Her research interests include areas such as sepsis and induction of labor, while her passion for medical leadership, human factors, and multidisciplinary team skills training underscores her commitment to enhancing patient outcomes and advancing the field of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She is expertise through specialized training, including the attainment of the Advanced Training Skills Module (ATSM) Certificate in Advanced Labour Ward Practice, Medical Education, and Labor Ward Lead from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the UK.Dr. Roa F Altaweli
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Dr. Roa F Altaweli
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
President- Saudi Association of Midwifery, Director of Midwifery, Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Dr. Roa Altaweli is a leading Consultant Midwife and the President and founding Board member of the Saudi Association of Midwifery. She made history as the first Saudi midwife to earn a PhD in Midwifery from City, University of London, where she also completed her MSc. Additionally, she studied at King’s College London. Formerly, Dr. Altaweli served as the Director of the Midwifery Department at the Ministry of Health. She also represents the Eastern Mediterranean Region on the board of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). Her dedication to advancing midwifery is evident through her involvement in various committees and the creation of “Rahmah Birth,” an Arabic resource and awareness programme for natural childbirth. Recognized as a Social Impact Award Finalist in 2018, Dr. Altaweli continues to champion high-quality, compassionate care for women and newborns, both in Saudi Arabia and internationally.Dr. Khaled El- Atawi
United Arab Emirates
Dr. Khaled El- Atawi
United Arab Emirates
Consultant Neonatologist, Latifa Women and Children Hospital, United Arab Emirates
Dr. Khaled El-Atawi is a distinguished Consultant Neonatologist and Clinical Quality Specialist at Latifa Women and Children Hospital, UAE. He earned his Master’s and PhD degrees in Pediatrics from Ain Shams University, and a Master’s degree in Healthcare Management from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. At Latifa Hospital, one of the largest tertiary neonatal intensive care units in the UAE, Dr. El-Atawi provides specialized care for critically ill newborns and ensures high clinical quality standards. He also serves as a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Dubai Medical College for Girls and as Pediatric Resident Supervisor at Latifa Hospital, mentoring future pediatricians. An active member of local and international medical societies, Dr. El-Atawi has published numerous papers and serves on the editorial boards of several medical journals. His research focuses on neonatal ventilation, nutrition, brain injury, and protection, contributing significantly to the field of neonatology.Ms.Samia F Alzahrani
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ms.Samia F Alzahrani
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Director- Professional Development and Research, Nursing Administration- Ministry of Health, Professional Development Committee, Saudi Association of Midwifery, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Samia F. Alzahrani serves as the Director of Professional Development and Research in Nursing Administration Affairs at the Ministry of Health, where she enhances nursing practices and professional growth.She completed courses on Philosophy, Knowledge, Skills, and Evidence for Optimum Birth at City University of London and is a CPD Champions (Advanced) accredited by the ACCME Academy - American Academy.Ms. Alzahrani is passionate about empowering midwifery practice, leading in health and pregnancy care, and improving neonatal care practices. She focuses on high dependency care for childbearing women and contemporary issues in infant feeding and nutrition. Committed to education, she actively teaches and promotes evidence-based practices.Ms. Alzahrani’s dedication to nursing and midwifery elevates healthcare standards, inspiring practitioners to provide exceptional care for mothers and newborns. Her dedication to midwifery and professional development continues to make a significant impact on the healthcare system in Saudi Arabia, fostering an environment of continuous learning and improvement for midwives and nursesDr. Victoria F. Hanson
United Arab Emirates
Dr. Victoria F. Hanson
United Arab Emirates
Associate Professor (Maternal and Child Health Nursing)
RAK College of Nursing,
RAK Medical and Health Science University,
United Arab Emirates
Dr Victoria F. Hanson is an Associate Professor (Maternal and Child Health Nursing/Midwifery) in the
College of Nursing, at Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, United Arab Emirates.
Born in Nigeria. Started her training as a midwife in 1973, and began her academic career as a
Midwife educator in the School of Midwifery, Akure Ondo in Nigeria in 1982. Involved in the training
of midwives at diploma. Her pursuit for excellence in my chosen career pushed me to have a degree
in Nursing in Nursing education in 1993 and a Master of Science in Maternal and Child Health
Nursing in 2005 at the University of Ibadan. She holds a PhD in Maternal and Child Health Nursing
followed in 2015 at the University of Western Cape, South Africa. Her dissertation adopted a mixed
method design of an empowerment program for women on breast self-examination towards
prevention of breast cancer in the Iddo local government community, Oyo State, southwest Nigeria.
Dr Victoria had various international experience in Gambia School of Nursing as a Technical Aids
corps member representing the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the year 2000 and Oman Specialized
Nursing Institute, Muscat. Sultanate of Oman as a midwifery lecturer from 2006 to 2010. Dr Victoria
had authored a book: Fundamentals of Midwifery Practice Second Edition (2015). Dr Victoria had
been involved in training midwives and nurses nationally and internationally in the areas of Maternal
and Child Health Nursing, Midwifery, Nursing Management, Leadership, Research Methodology, and
Evidence-Based Practice for over three decades, with experience in distance learning education. She
had also worked at the National Open University of Nigeria as a lecturer (facilitator) for 4 years in the
Nursing department (distance learning program) involved in the conversion of diploma-certified
nurses and midwives to degree-qualified practitioners.
Dr. Ibtesam Omar Jahlan
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Dr. Ibtesam Omar Jahlan
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Vice President- Saudi Association of Midwifery
Vice Chairperson- Maternal & Child Health Nursing College
Kind Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Dr.Ibtesam Jahlan is a registered consultant midwife. She is the vice-President and founding board member of the Saudi Association of Midwifery (SAM). She is the second Saudi midwife to obtain PhD in Midwifery from Monash University. Currently, she is working as assistant professor, and the assistant for the head of maternal and child health nursing department at College of Nursing, King Saud University, where she is also the head of the Bachelor of science in Midwifery program . Dr. Ibtesam is the head of scientific committee for the advanced midwifery postgraduate diploma, and accredited evaluator and surveyors at Saudi Commission For Health Specialists (SCFHS).