Palestinian academic Dr. Muna Dmaidi has achieved a significant international milestone after being selected by UNESCO to join the Network of Experts on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence Without Borders.
The appointment highlights the growing global recognition of Palestinian expertise in science, technology, and artificial intelligence, while reinforcing the increasing role of women leaders in shaping the future of emerging technologies.
Dr. Dmaidi currently serves as Vice President for Artificial Intelligence Affairs and Director of International Relations at the Arab American University. She is widely recognized as one of the leading female figures in technology, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship across the Arab world.
Born in Nablus in December 1988, Dr. Dmaidi has built an impressive academic career specializing in software engineering and machine learning. She earned a PhD in Advanced Software Engineering and Machine Learning, as well as a Master’s degree with distinction in Software Engineering and Data Management from The University of Manchester in the United Kingdom.
Her academic journey includes joining An-Najah National University in 2016, where she became one of the youngest women to hold a doctoral degree within the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology. In September 2024, she was appointed Assistant Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Digital Sciences at the Arab American University before later assuming her current leadership role in artificial intelligence affairs.
Dr. Dmaidi has also played a pioneering role in advancing women’s participation in technology. Since 2014, she has been involved with initiatives supporting women in engineering and Arab women in computing. In 2017, she became the first woman to lead the Palestinian section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), later becoming the first Palestinian woman to attain senior membership within the organization.
Her commitment to empowering women in technology expanded further in 2019 when she became Co-Managing Director of Girls in Tech Palestine, the first branch of the global organization established in the Middle East and North Africa region. Through this initiative, she has helped encourage girls and women to pursue opportunities in programming, innovation, and technology entrepreneurship.
Among her notable achievements is receiving international recognition in 2020 for a machine learning-based project focused on the early detection of skin cancer. The project earned distinction at the World Summit on the Information Society Awards and highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence to support healthcare innovation.
Dr. Dmaidi’s selection by UNESCO represents another important step forward for women’s leadership in technology and reflects the growing impact of Arab women in global discussions surrounding artificial intelligence, ethics, and digital transformation.
