Success Stories
“I dream of seeing my innovation produced in reality,” says Somaya Al-Siyabiya, winner of the first place in Stars of Science in its fourteenth season 2022. Somaya grew up among 32 brothers and sisters, and therefore she has a lot of experience working in a crowded environment! Since she was born, Somaia has always wanted to be a teacher in her home country Oman, as she had a great passion for science.
She specialized in teaching biology and continued to work as a teacher teaching young men and women the study of living organisms and providing them with basic and important information about their environment. In 2021, the Omani innovator received the Youth Award for Excellence in Science from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth of the Sultanate of Oman. After practicing the profession of teaching for five years, she decided to obtain a master's degree in biology from the College of Science at Sultan Qaboos University and pursue her dream while continuing to balance her obligations and her family.
Project & Impact
Despite the wide range of its beneficial uses, plastic is considered one of the most harmful and polluting materials for the oceans, and it represents 85% of the total marine waste, according to the “From Pollution to Solution” report issued by the United Nations Environment Program in 2021. With the continued accumulation of plastic waste in the water, increasing amounts of microplastics, which are pieces of plastic up to 5 millimetres long, appear in the aquatic environment, posing a serious threat to the natural environment and living organisms.
Soumya's invention of "Microplastics Processing" will be a valuable tool to address this problem. This environmentally friendly device is free from harmful chemicals. It is a floating ball that contains microbial mats and nanomaterials that dissolve microplastics under sunlight within a short period of time. The device can float above the piles of plastic waste in the oceans, to capture and dispose of microplastic particles, and thus this invention is very useful in protecting natural water resources and wildlife in them.
Aftermath of SoS
Today, Somaya continues her scientific activities and reaps one award after another. Bee'ah incubated the Somaya project and provided everything needed for it. The Small Enterprises Authority also supported the project and turned it into a startup, and the innovation was presented at the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal. During the annual women's magazine conference and awards, Sumaya won the Achievement of the Year award. She was chosen as the icon of the year among the TAS icons for ten inspiring personalities from various segments of society for the year 2022, as she was honored by His Highness Sayyid Kamel bin Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said. Somaya also participated as a speaker in a series of conferences, most notably TAS_conclave2022, where she discussed the future of education in Oman. She was awarded the Royal Commendation Order of the Second Class in 2023. She also won the 2023 GCC Medal.
Sumaya sits as a juror in many competitions, including competitions related to innovation and entrepreneurship with the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Ibra branch, in addition to the Student Companies Exhibition 2023 of INJAZ Oman.
Sumaya also participated in training workshops at the Oman Museum and presented many workshops on motivation, scientific research, and innovation in universities as well as for workers in private government sectors.
Last update June 2023
