Two Saudi Students Awarded Rhodes Scholarships to Study at Oxford

Joudi Al-Ahmadi and Lena Al-Shanafey have been awarded Saudi Arabia’s two Rhodes Scholarships and will begin postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford in October 2027.

Al-Ahmadi holds a first-class honours degree in physics from King Abdulaziz University and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in quantum technologies at Oxford. Her research has spanned computational and experimental physics, including work on defect-engineered molybdenum disulphide, frequency-selective surfaces, polarisation rotators and tin-lead perovskites.

She also founded Zamakan, a student science journal focused on communicating complex scientific ideas in Arabic, and previously served as co-president of the Physics Club at King Abdulaziz University. At Oxford, she plans to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy in atomic and laser physics, focusing on atom interferometry and quantum sensing.

Al-Shanafey is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania studying economics at the Wharton School, with concentrations in finance and healthcare management, alongside political science in the College of Arts and Sciences. Her honours thesis examines diagnostic pathways and access to treatment for menopausal women in Saudi Arabia using hospital records.

Her experience includes healthcare research, consulting work for companies and startups, and roles at Boston Consulting Group and Sanabil Investments. She also founded Novus Digest and has written for Arab News. At Oxford, she plans to study for a Master of Science in global health science and epidemiology, followed by a Master of Science in applied digital health.

The Rhodes Scholarship has been based at Oxford since 1903. Saudi Arabia’s first scholarship was established in 2018, with a second added in 2020. Two Saudi scholars are now selected each year, with 20 students from the country having received the scholarship to date.