May 01, 2025

Women Leave Their Mark at the 6th WiDS Conference

Hosted by KFUPM in partnership with the KFUPM Institute for Knowledge Exchange (KIKX) and the ICS Department, the 6th edition of the annual Women in Data Science (WiDS) conference brought together leading regional voices to explore this year’s theme: “AI for Science, Medicine, and Engineering.”

Opening the event on behalf of KFUPM President Dr. Muhammad Al-Saggaf, Dr. Ali Al Shaikhi, Vice President of Research & Innovation, spotlighted the university’s growing impact. Highlighting KFUPM’s contribution’s to diversifying the nation’s economy, he shared the university 17th place globally in interdisciplinary research, with the highest undergraduate female enrollment rate in engineering. “When you’re supporting society,” he said, “accolades like patents and awards will automatically come your way.”

As always, the conference was led by women at every level - organizers, session chairs, presenters, volunteers - reflecting its core mission to empower women and recognize their contributions in data science. Among the speakers were representatives from Saudi Aramco, NEOM, and KFUPM, among others, adding deep insight to the discussions.

The talks included ethical AI, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research, deep learning bias, and more. Dr. Wadha Almattar emphasized that integrating AI in healthcare could take up to a decade. In her words, “It is not optional, but contributions should be about leaving a legacy and not about seeing the results.” Meanwhile, Dr. Fatima Abu Salem, returning as a speaker virtually from AUB, addressed and offered to mentor attendees on AI fairness.

A high note was the poster projects session, where participants showcased various AI applications, from deepfake detection and Arabic fluency tools to a mental health chatbot. Many opportunities for networking and exchanging ideas were available, making the conference a successful step forward for both women and the field of data science.