A BIRD was the inspiration for Majda Aburas, board member and deputy executive director of the Saudi Environmental Society (SENS), to complete her higher studies in environmental biotechnology. Dr. Majda Mohamed Ahmed Aburas received her Ph.D. in environmental studies and biotechnology from Surrey University, England in 2009 for research into the environmental effect of petroleum crude oil on the soil in Saudi Arabia. “I chose to focus my research on petroleum since it is one of the most important sources of energy in the Kingdom,” she said. But it was actually a dead bird that caused her to become interested in the environment. “In 2003 the bird flu virus was spreading around the world, and one day I found a dead bird in my garden. I felt that I wanted to know the cause of the bird's death and whether it posed a danger to humans, so I decided to take it to a scientific laboratory.” However, Aburas was unable to find a laboratory that could tell her whether or not the bird died of a virus or if it was infectious and dangerous, and it was at that time that she decided to complete her studies in environmental biotechnology. “I not only decided to specialize in that field, but also began to search for other organizations working in the same area in Saudi Arabia,” she said. “That was when I discovered the Saudi Environmental Society (SENS) and sent them a proposal to establish a new Friends of the Environment group.” Prince Turki Bin Nasir Bin Abdul Aziz, the SENS Chairman, found that Aburas' proposal was similar to the aims and objectives of the society and asked her to become a member of the SENS board, and later president of the women's section and deputy executive manager of the society. “I initially worked on the design and development of strategies for environmental NGOs. Later we decided to create a new identity for the society and completely reorganized it. I was a founding member of the new SENS and was involved in designing its plan of work and in preparing environmental educational tools,” she explained. Aburas also helped in raising the level of public awareness by designing and delivering environmental education programs and campaigns on the national level. “Part of our awareness campaign is the environmental leadership ambassador program, and I was the first woman selected to be an environmental ambassador,” she said. “We involve actors, football players, Islamic scholars and well-known personalities in Saudi society.” According to Aburas, emphasis has been placed upon raising the environmental awareness of the younger generation. “A number of Jeddah schools were selected to be environmental schools which include the importance of the environment in their teaching curriculum,” she said. Aburas was honored as a Fellow of the International Federation of Professional and Business Women, United States of America. “I was the first Saudi female to get this fellowship for my environmental biotechnology work, and it was a great honor for me since the people who usually get this award are well-known presidents and Nobel Prize winners,” she said. As a member of the staff of the Microbiology Department of the Faculty of Science of King Abdulaziz University, Aburas lectures in different areas, such as general microbiology, general biology, microbiological pollution, physiology of microorganisms, industrial microbiology and ecological pollution. She is also a member of a number of social organizations, such as the Jeddah Governorate Higher Female Committee, Teba Association, Al-Eman Association for Cancer Diseases, National Research Center, Egypt, King Fahd Research Center, Saudi AIDS Society and the Governorate Urban Observatory Council.
