About Us

ABOUT ALTHURAYA FOUNDATION

As a scholarship charity, AlThuraya Foundation committed to investing in the education of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s outstanding young individuals and to supporting their development so they are optimally positioned to effect positive change in their respective societies, the region, and the world. 

LEGACY

Our founder, Hossam Shobokshi, has long believed in education being a catalyst for change. Across the past two decades, he witnessed the reward of investing in youth’s education through the Shobokshi Program (2003-2016) which offered scholarships to MENA students in science-related fields. The students’ ability to transform both their lives and their societies, and their commitment to social change inspired him to build a platform to continue his philanthropic efforts, but also to open it up to those who share this mission.

GOVERNANCE

AlThuraya Foundation is an Edinburgh-based Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organization (SCIO) registered with OSCR, the Scottish Charity Regulator, since July 7th, 2016. The charity is governed by a Board of Trustees which includes its founder, Hossam Shobokshi, in addition to Noor Attar and Dr. Talal Al-Mayhani. It is established to promote the advancement of education, science, and equal opportunity. For further information, please visit the charity page on the OSCR website.

MEET THE TEAM

Hossam Shobokshi

Hossam Shobokshi
Chairman/Trustee

Hossam is a co-founding partner at Saray Capital, a leading value-investment firm in the MENA region with a focus on listed equities and commercial real estate. Hossam also serves as the independent director on the board of Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP). He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management (Honors), from the University of Pennsylvania – the Wharton School of Business.

Noor Attar

Noor Attar
Trustee

Noor is currently studying towards an MSc in Global Migration at University College London (UCL) and is interested in researching geographies of care. She previously worked on urban and regional consultancy projects with Strategic Sustainability Solutions. Noor holds a BA from the University of British Columbia with a double major in Human Geography and Political Science.


Al-Mayhani

Dr Talal Al-Mayhani
Trustee

Talal is a clinical fellow at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) of UCL, and a visiting research associate in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, at the University of Cambridge. His current research focuses on neural stem cells and brain cancer. Talal has been teaching Neuroscience and Human Behavior to undergraduate medical students in Cambridge.

 

Hanaa Almoaibed

Hanaa AlMoaibed
Academic Advisor

Hanaa is a researcher and consultant; her research focuses on young people's education to work transitions, and issues of access and equity. She has worked on developing youth programs in the Middle East since 2005, both in the private sector and in collaborating with government entities. Hanaa holds a BA from the University of Washington, an MSc from LSE, and a PhD from UCL's Institute of Education.