NEP 3.0

Dr. Ameena Al-Sumaiti is a highly accomplished academic with a passion for research that drives impact in the UAE. Listed among the top 2% of scientists in the world for research citations in 2021, she is an expert in the fields of renewable energy, operation research, smart city planning, artificial intelligence, transportation networks, data analytics, and other aspects of energy, technology, and advanced sciences.

In support of the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, Dr. Al-Sumaiti is leading research that advances sustainable transport, accelerates the energy transition, and improves the demand-side management of water and energy. Recent studies have explored the design of wireless charging networks for autonomous vehicles; demand-side management of the water-energy-gas (hydrogen)-transport nexuses; accident prevention in autonomous driving; and artificial intelligence applications in security, transport, systems, and energy.

To strengthen research and advanced sciences in the UAE, Dr. Al-Sumaiti wants to transform the education system to make it more flexible and impactful for youth. For example, she would like to see high schools allow academically gifted students to skip grades so they can attend university sooner and permit students to specialize in majors such as advanced sciences at a young age. At the university level, she wants to see less emphasis on exams and more emphasis on cultivating students’ intellectual curiosity and interest in their subjects. As a career goal, Dr. Al-Sumaiti hopes to become a Minister of Education or Minister of Energy and Infrastructure where she can lead some of these changes.

Dr. Al-Sumaiti began her academic career as an Assistant Professor of Khalifa University in 2016 and was appointed Associate Professor in 2021. She also served as a Visiting Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2017. Outside of research and teaching, she frequently delivers talks or participates in panels for international gatherings; for instance, she recently spoke on the UAE’s energy transition and decarbonization in a closed-door seminar in Italy.

Dr. Al-Sumaiti earned her B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from United Arab Emirates University. At the University of Waterloo, she earned both an M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering. She is the recipient of over 50 awards and recognitions, including first prize for an energy innovation project at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure’s Research and Innovation Awards.