Areej Al-Muallem: A Well-Known Saudi Expert on Social Concerns

Over 20 years ago, the Arab world was largely unaware of autism, leading to widespread ignorance and misinformation, which is still evident in the stereotyped portrayal of autistic individuals in the media.

Areej Jamil Suleiman Al-Muallem is a prominent figure in the field of autism spectrum disorder, blending public policy and practical efforts with an active field presence within the institutional framework, highlighting her unique perspective.

Areej, with a scientific background in management and psychology, has been applying her skills since 2005, when she founded the Psychology Department at the Ministry of Health’s King Salman Centre for Kidney Diseases. She has nine years of experience working with people and families.

Afterwards, in 2014, she initiated four commercial projects with the “Nofos” group, focusing on psychological awareness and quality of life. These projects gained immediate local and international attention, including from CNN. She represented the Kingdom in female leadership delegations in the Netherlands and the Gulf, leading institutional work for autism in a comprehensive and stimulating manner.

Since 2020, the Autism Families Association-Autism Endowment Fund Secretary-General, Areej Al-Muallem, has played a pivotal role in raising community awareness, creating training initiatives, mobilising resources, and establishing institutional ties between the public, private, and nonprofit arenas. Throughout her tenure, she has emphasised the importance of integrating national projects.

As a member of the Advisory Council for Autism Services, chair of the National Committee for Autism Centres at the Federation of Saudi Chambers, and chair of the Coordinating Committee for Autism Associations. Areej Al-Muallem is central to the Kingdom’s decision-making networks for individuals with autism.

With her extensive experience, she views obstacles as natural challenges in any endeavour and believes that overcoming them requires determination and focus on the goal. This diverse perspective allows her to gain a comprehensive understanding of challenges.

Areej Al-Muallem: Successes as Vast as the Vision

She oversaw the organisation’s receipt of the London International Excellence Award in Social Responsibility for the “Tayf Aziz Convoy” project, a mobile field initiative designed to raise awareness and provide services around the Kingdom. A dedication to accountability and transparency is demonstrated by the association’s administrative and organisational accomplishment of receiving a flawless score on the National Centre for the Non-Profit Sector’s governance criteria.

The initiatives continued after that. Areej’s administration started innovative campaigns like “#Autism_Puzzle,” which helped the association set a Guinness World Record for the most jigsaw puzzle signatures. In addition to being a symbolic event, this campaign conveyed the idea that autism is a mystery that may be comprehended and resolved with collaboration within the community.

The “Rishat Tayf” or “Tayf Feather” campaign, which she spearheaded, collected over 6.5 million riyals through an art auction of paintings created by creative autistic people. The first development initiative in the Kingdom for gifted autistic individuals received funding with the earnings.

“These accolades inspired me to keep going and conquer obstacles, much like a round of applause. Entrepreneurship is a fun approach that I have used to learn and assist others.”

“When we have faith in people’s abilities rather than discussing their impairments,” she remarked, describing this achievement. As she puts it, her concept is “shifting from care to empowerment.” As an opportunity to learn new ways of thinking and being creative, she sees autism spectrum disorder as more than just a medical issue that needs care or support. According to her, “autism spectrum disorder is a distinct type of ability rather than a handicap.”

What’s remarkable is that this attitude is put into practice in every endeavour she takes on, from family training programmes to creative and theatrical endeavours. Through the “Hall 4” theatre initiative, young people with autism were given the chance to perform for an audience and show off their skills. She continues, “Since theatre is a reflection of society, we wish to present it in the broadest possible way.”

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A “Hybrid” Approach to Leadership

Areej stands out because she leads her team not only from the office but also goes out in the field with them, visiting events and having direct conversations with students, families, and members of other teams. Because of this intimacy, she has gained the trust of collaborators and recipients, turning the organisation into a welcome space for anyone looking to donate or receive support.

This may be the result of a deep-seated conviction that dates back to her formative years: “The team comes before the individual,” and that effective leadership entails reflecting both institutional success and the human experience. According to her, being a wife, mother, and daughter presents “a mission of a different kind,” and she has dedicated her life experiences and professional knowledge to fulfilling her purpose.

Family support has been crucial to her journey: from a father who taught her to be independent to a mother who prayed for her, a husband who has continued to encourage her, and kids who, via their smiles, serve as her biggest source of inspiration.

Her personal history lends a distinct human element to her leadership. “You will be banging on every door until you get what you want if you believe in it,” Areej asserts. Many people now look up to her as an example of a social leader who balances local engagement with international recognition, as well as legislative influence and field activity.

Her accomplishments originate from creating a cohesive structure rather than from her efforts alone. Her experience demonstrates that dedication to a cause, combined with skilful team leadership, can turn obstacles into possibilities and give families who previously felt alone or helpless hope.

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