Big dreams are tempting when they come true! People always dream bigger! 

And so it was:

Her achievements in the field of invention after a long journey of struggle made her draw other, more difficult dreams! She dreams of receiving the King Abdulaziz Medal of the First Class, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, as well as obtaining another patent from the US Patent Office, owning a company and a private factory to manufacture and market her inventions for the benefit of society, and for her company to be incubated in the Riyadh Technology Incubator.

She is Fawzia bint Saleh bin Abdulrahman Al-Mayman, holds a master's degree in physical chemistry, specializing in catalytic polymerization, and works as a scientific researcher at the King Abdullah Institute for Nanotechnology at King Saud University. She holds a patent from the US Patent Office for her invention of a smoke detector, and a local patent from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology for her invention of a food additive detector. She was also honored by the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Program for Distinguished Research Grants for her outstanding efforts in the field of global research and publication.

In addition to being honored on the World Intellectual Property Day 2-6-1433 AH as one of the inspiring innovators for the year 2012 at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, she was also honored by His Highness the Emir of Riyadh, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz, during the event honoring distinguished researchers and patent holders at King Saud University.

The beginning: Passion!

Being the youngest daughter in the house to siblings with high academic degrees in different specializations, this gave her a greater opportunity to learn about various fields, which was reflected in her interests. She loved everything new, especially in the field of research, industry, devices, computer use, and self-learning – and drawing at not many times. She was always passionate about reading about patents!

During her master's degree, she found herself dreaming of invention and becoming an inventor, just as she had dreamed!

To be an inventor: learn patience!

“Big dreams are a school of patience, and invention is one of the biggest and noblest dreams,” says Fawzia Al-Mayman, stressing that to be an inventor, a person needs to be patient first and foremost. An idea does not turn from a flash of inspiration into a product easily, but rather requires study, experimentation, re-study, and experimentation. Obtaining a patent does not happen overnight, as it requires time and effort in follow-up and review, in addition to the fact that marketing the product requires greater determination and patience.

In addition, the inventor needs to be steadfast, self-confident, patient in the face of potential obstacles and negative beliefs, and tolerant of all the neglect he may face, due to society’s lack of sufficient understanding of the inventor, and the lack of societal awareness of the meaning and culture of intellectual property and material and intellectual rights.

Fawzia Al-Mayman's innovations:

Smoke Detection System Innovation:

Fawzia says that she was greatly influenced by reading about the harms and serious diseases resulting from smoking, and when she noticed that many of those around her had fallen prey to this habit, she felt the need to find a solution that would help reduce the phenomenon of smoking, so she invented the smoke detector. It is a device that helps smokers quit smoking and protects them from its negative effects, as the device contains a processor and memory that includes a computer program, through which a signal is received indicating the emitted smoke. Upon receiving this signal, the device ejects one or more types of negative atoms and ions near the smoker or the place where the smoke is emitted, to renew the air, which leads to warning the user.

This invention contributes to reducing the amount of air pollution, and thus improving its quality. It also deals with all sources of smoke and detects them, in addition to being easy to use and carry. It also helps the smoker to challenge the habit of smoking and reduce his dependence on it, as it includes a system that issues an alert in the form of sound and vibrations to count the cigarettes during a specific time.

This invention is currently being developed commercially in preparation for marketing it to relevant institutions locally and internationally.

Invention of food microscope or food additive detector:

Fawzia says that the idea for this invention was born from one of the experiments she conducted to detect food additives in some food products, in one of the Mawhiba enrichment programs affiliated with Mawhiba and held at King Saud University, where she discovered that some food products contain preservatives despite the phrase “100% free of preservatives” written on them. When the program team visited the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, they found that the devices that analyze food are large in size and require specialized technicians to operate them. From here, she felt an urgent need for small devices that analyze food and are available to all members of society, in order to prevent diseases resulting from these materials and to detect commercial fraud without the need to refer to a specialized technician.

That is why Fawzia Al-Mayman was keen to design the device in a way that would be possible for everyone to use, starting with laboratory specialists, passing through family members, and ending with the blind, as it has the ability to read data and issue an alert according to the internationally permitted tables if the added substance is higher than the internationally permitted, this means that it is not safe for health.

The idea of ​​the innovation revolves around a small portable device designed to monitor food and provide a clear picture of the food additives it contains, such as preservatives, flavors, sugars, colorants, emulsifiers, thickeners, carcinogens, etc. It also contains strips so that the strips can be manufactured from the material that separates the food additives if possible. Using a technology similar to the sugar analysis device, it is possible to examine the food for additives by taking a sample of it and placing it on the relevant strips.

Vision and ambition!

“I look forward to seeing an era full of Muslim inventors and industrialists, advanced Muslim technology, and Muslim youth who work for their worldly life as they work for their afterlife, without excess or deficiency.”

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz

A. Fawzia Al-Mayman says that she is working hard to achieve this vision as a way of thanking him for his efforts, may God protect him, in supporting inventors. She confirms that she intends to develop more innovations with determination, and to transform them from mere ideas on paper into real products that impact the country’s economy. She also dreams of participating in local and international exhibitions in a way that honors the country, and she is fully convinced that serious determination and trust in God are enough to overcome difficulties.