His Excellency Dr Sultan Al Neyadi and Elham Alqasim
In 2023, two Honorary Doctorates were awarded by Middlesex University (MDX) Dubai.
Firstly to His Excellency Dr Sultan Saif Al Neyadi, renowned across the globe for being the first person from an Arab country to spend six months on the International Space Station (ISS) and for being the first Arab to perform a spacewalk during Expedition 69.
His Excellency Dr Sultan received a Bachelor of Science in electronics and communications engineering from the University of Brighton. He also received a Master of Science and a PhD in information technology in 2008 and 2012 from Griffith University, and published six research papers in peer-reviewed journals.
In 2018 he was one of the two selected astronauts in the first batch of the UAE Astronaut Programme, launched by then-crown prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE's vice president and prime minister and ruler of Dubai. He was selected from over 4,000 candidates, following a series of mental and physical tests in the UAE and abroad.
The pioneering Emirati astronaut and UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs was a fitting recipient and his inspirational speech motivated graduates to launch into their professional futures without limitations.
Secondly Elham Alqasim, Chief Strategy and Technology Officer at Majid Al Futtaim Holding LLC, received the award. In addition to her inspiring leading role in the advancement of tech and innovation in the region, Elham is also the first Arab woman to undertake a successful ‘unsupported and unassisted’ skiing expedition to the North Pole, providing a remarkable example of what is possible.
Elham holds a bachelor’s degree in business from the American University in Dubai and a master’s degree from the School of Social Policy at The London School of Economics & Political Science.
Before joining Majid Al Futtaim, Elham spent 12 years in Abu Dhabi working with Mubadala Investment Company, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, and Digital14 amongst others. Prior to that, she was based in the UK, where she started her career in Investment Banking at JPMorgan.
She is now responsible for developing long-term strategy and operating model with a focus on driving sustainable value creation and growth.
