IUCN SSC West Asia Arabian Plant Specialist Group

Faten Filimban is a full-time Associate Professor at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah. Her main role at (KAU) is teaching undergraduate, postgraduate and supervising Saudi and international students at MSc and PhD levels in the field of Botany. Her knowledge and experience in flora of the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra made successful contributions in co-supervising students with scientists at the in collaboration with scientists of biochemistry at the in collaboration with scientists at the Department of Biochemistry. This is by using certain medicinal plants in treating specific types of cancers and Thalassaemia (see publications). Faten is also retaining a part time as a consultant at Jeddah Municipality (JM) at the Department of Gardens and Parks Management. Her consultation focuses on preparing cultivated and native plants list that are adapted to Jeddah environmental conditions. More importantly, she the one who proposed and designed Jeddah Botanical Garden project which will be one of the biggest projects by (JM) in 2025- 2026. She is lucky that she did her PhD and her second Master degrees at the University of Edinburgh in conjunction with the Centre for Middle Eastern Plants (CMEP) at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), Scotland, United Kingdom. This opportunity made her closer to learn from well-known botanical scientists and to participate in different research and cultural activities. Since mid of 2019 she has been doing her postdoctoral project at the (RBGE) sponsored by (KAU). The project is about designing an electronic platform which includes ‘Urban Plant Species’ for Saudi Arabia; in order to help mainly the public and educate them in identifying plants in a clear, practical and systematic way. This platform well be available for researches and public for free. In June 2021 up to date; she become a team leader (visiting researcher) for the Arabian Peninsula region at the Royal Botanic Garden KEW, London. This helps her in nourishing the research work undertaken in the area and meeting and enrich her experiences from great scientists in the world. Especially there is no any Arabian researcher has been taken this role before her. As well as helping, guiding students and send them there for their further postgraduate studies. Faten is volunteering as a Peer Reviewer in many local and international journals in the fields of Biology and Botany.